A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.
temple-news.com
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
VOL. 92 ISS. 21
Grievance filed against professor
At meeting, sit-in, yells of protest
Student says professor questioned request for disability accommodation.
Administration and community at odds over ousting of Anthony Monteiro.
SARAI FLORES The Temple News The U.S. Department of Education’s Office on Civil Rights has launched an investigation into Temple Disability Resources and Services after a Temple graduate student filed a grievance against the university for a professor’s actions. David Harris, a student in the social work department, said he experienced discrimination from Associate Director of Disability Resources and Services Aaron Spector and from a professor in the College of Health Professions and Social Work after they questioned his request for an accommodation for his diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Harris said he requested his professor give him extra time on a paper so that he could take it to the writing center. During a meeting with his field liaison and social work professor, Harris said he was called an irritant and was told that he was irritating everyone in the department due to filing a grievance policy. Spector declined to comment, citing confidentiality requirements. Harris’s lawyer declined to comment, citing a desire to remain a neutral party during the ongoing investigation. Harris said he previously received accommodations in class for his bipolar disorder and has submitted a doctor’s note to Disability Resources and Services. “Temple’s unofficial policy about the accommodation letters is that you have to hand deliver it to a faculty member,” Harris said. “Even if this is done in pri-
DISABILITY PAGE 6
JOE BRANDT The Temple News
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Sacaree Rhodes (middle) shouts at the Board of Trustees during a public session in Sullivan Hall on Monday. Students and community members gathered to protest the ousting of professor Anthony Monteiro. | JOHN MORITZ TTN
GEORGE MOORE, 1946-2014
Top lawyer remembered for service JOE BRANDT The Temple News George Moore, Temple’s Senior Vice President, head legal counsel, secretary to the Board of Trustees and former law professor, died of pancreatic cancer on March 2 at 67 years old. He was honored at a service held on March 9 in the Temple Performing Arts Center. As legal counsel, Moore advised four university presidents and dozens of trustees on multiple aspects of the law, including corporate governance, policy development and law interpretation. Moore became the university counsel in 1989 and Board of Trustees secretary in 1992. He was appointed senior vice president in 2007. From 1990 to 2007, he was an adjunct professor in the Beasley School of Law. His Temple career lasted 25 years. Moore was born on Nov. 14, 1946 and grew up in Robertsville, Pa., a village near Punxsutawney in Jefferson County. From an Italian-Catholic family, Moore had 28 first cousins, several of whom lived in Rob-
George Moore. | COURTESY TEMPLE ertsville. In high school, he was valedictorian and played football. In 1968, Moore graduated from Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school in
In classroom, talk of Ukraine Roman Cybriwsky is a Ukranian-American citizen who wants to spread awareness.
New Hampshire. While attending Dartmouth he lived the “hippie” lifestyle; he grew his hair long, rode a Harley Davidson motorcycle, made silver jewelry and spoke out against the Vietnam War, Moore’s cousin Joseph Roberts said. “Punxsutawney is a quiet, family-oriented town, so that was a big deal,” Roberts said in a speech at the service. Moore graduated from Temple Law School in 1976, receiving his degree magna cum laude. He then moved on to Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm, where he spent 13 years as an associate and later a partner. Though he eventually moved back to Temple, he remained close with his former coworkers at Ballard. Joe H. Tucker Jr., now a managing partner at Tucker Law Group, said that Moore was the first person to give him a chance. After Tucker, a 1989 Temple Law graduate, quit his job at a national law firm where he had worked for four years, he was “practicing law out of his kitchen,” he said in his speech at the service.
rotesters against the dismissal of AfricanAmerican studies professor Anthony Monteiro demonstrated at the Board of Trustees’ general body meeting held in Sullivan Hall on Monday. The protesters said Teresa Soufas, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, was racially motivated in her decision not to renew Monteiro’s contract The protest began outside Sullivan Hall two hours before the meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Temple and Philadelphia police officers were on the scene and guarding the entrances. “If you think you can go forward without a black community, you might think you can have black art and black music without black people,” Monteiro said at a speech he made outside the building. The board meeting began with a memorial dedication to George Moore, secretary to the Board of Trustees and university counsel, who died on March 2. The board also approved the executive committee’s recommendation to borrow $30 million to cover expenses from April through June of this year, as well as the agendas of the other committees. The protesters, who filed into the meeting several minutes after it started, began shouting at the trustees when the establishment of a new CLA department was resolved. Sacaree Rhodes, a community resident and member of the African Daughters of Fine Lineage, shouted “Where
MOORE PAGE 3
MEETING PAGE 6
A history of crew
Life on the river The storied tradition of men’s crew will continue after the Board of Trustees voted to reinstate the sport’s varsity status in February.
CLAIRE SASKO The Temple News
DANIELLE NELSON The Temple News
Sixty-eight-year-old Roman Cybriwsky is a nightclub kind of guy. At least, that’s what he calls himself. It wasn’t until the geography professor was 58 and living in Tokyo, however, that he found himself in these sweaty, shady, late-night hideouts. As an urban geographer, Cybriwsky studied nightlife in a Tokyo nightclub district called Roppongi. The location is within walking distance of Temple’s Japan campus, where he worked in administration at the time. He eventually published a book on the nightlife of Roppongi. Cybriwsky said urban geog-
When former Temple rower Ed Stinson got married, he took a particular cardboard box from his parents’ home with him. Now nestled in his attic, every so often Stinson reopens the box to relive his three-year rowing career at Temple in the 1980s. In the box sits his Temple rowing unisuit, photographs of races at regattas, awards for erg scores and run tests, trophies, dozens of medals and a few newspaper articles. One of the publications, the April 6, 1986 edition of the Augusta Chronicle, reads “Temple Triumph” on the front page. The day before, Temple’s men’s varsity eight boat came from behind in a head-to-head race to upset international powerhouse Oxford University in a 1,500-meter course by half-a-boat length with a time of 4 minutes, 17.4 seconds at the Augusta Invitational Regatta in Augusta, Ga.
Roman Cybriwsky studied nightlife in Tokyo and gentrification in Philadelphia prior to teaching.| CLAIRE SASKO TTN raphy is his passion. He’s studied topics that pertain to many cities and neighborhoods, like the gentrification of Fairmount and the demise of Roppongi. Now, Cybriwsky is approaching what is likely his biggest project yet, returning his attention to his birthplace: Ukraine. “By the time I finally finished [in Japan] I had gray hair
and I started thinking, ‘Ukraine is evolving. There’s a whole new world over there. Let’s go write a book,’” he said. “From that, I became interested in what I do now.” Cybriwsky is UkrainianAmerican. He was born in a European refugee camp at the end
UKRAINE PAGE 16
NEWS - PAGES 2-3, 6
LIVING - PAGES 7-8, 16-18
Paycheck draws students to strip
Street performance for a cause
After a round of committee meetings and public session, the Board of Trustees voted to raise funds for building security. PAGE 2
Some students who work as strippers while attending the university say the substantial money caught their attention. PAGE 7
Project Positive is an organization aiming to keep youth off the streets with hiphop. PAGE 9
Board approves security funds
OPINION - PAGES 4-5 Counting Temple’s security cams
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - PAGES 9-15
Temple’s men crew team was triumphant on water for much of its history. In December, however, the team was threatened with extinction when the Board of Trustees voted to cut the crew program due to inadequate facilities. But in February, the crew program was again victorious – this time on land – when university officials announced that the men’s crew program, along with women’s rowing, were reinstated due to a $2.5 million donation from the city and a $3 million donation from trustee H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest to renovate the formerly condemned East Park Canoe House. Olympian and former Temple assistant coach Mike Teti said he is glad the program is back because “it would have been a travesty.” The sentiment is similar along many involved with Temple’s storied crew program. Philadelphia has been the epicenter of rowing in American since the 1800s. Situated on the northwest side of Philadelphia, the Schuylkill
CREW PAGE 20
SPORTS - PAGES 19-22
Conference tourney nears
NEWS
PAGE 2
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
Staff Reports | Campus
Trustees vote to increase security spending In committee meetings, trustees respond to security breaches. JOE BRANDT EDDIE BARRENECHEA The Temple News While Temple students were on Spring Break, the Board of Trustees continued its round of committee meetings before the general body meeting on Monday in Sullivan Hall. The Facilities Committee met March 5 and the Academic Affairs Committee met March 3. The Campus Life and Diversity Committee also held a joint meeting with the Student Affairs Committee on Feb. 26. The Facilities Committee recommended an increase of $287,000 in security spending for both Gladfelter and Anderson halls. These security measures were deemed necessary due to recent events that affected public safety last year. On Oct. 29, a Temple professor was attacked in Anderson Hall. Campus Safety Services officials said they believe the vulnerability of this hall and its neighboring building, Gladfelter Hall, are the mezzanine entrances. The spending will go toward installing delayed egress security hardware on exterior doors. Local audio alarms and remote security alarms will also be added for each door receiving the delayed egress, according to the capital expenditure request form. The committee also recommended the authorization of athletic locker room renovations in Pearson and McGonigle halls, Edberg-Olson Hall and the Liacouras Center, at a cost not to exceed $1.5 million.
A sign posted in Anderson Hall warns students to have their Temple IDs ready to present to security guards at the building’s entrance. The board approved funding for more security measures in Anderson and Gladfelter halls. | JILLIAN HAMMER TTN FILE PHOTO The committee recommended authorization for the Temple Orthopedics Group to sign a five-year lease for 2,000 square feet of space at Chestnut Hill Hospital in Northwest Philadelphia. Chestnut Hill Hospital already has a relationship with the University of Pennsylvania Community Health Network. The Campus Life and Diversity Committee, at its joint meeting with the Student Affairs Committee on Feb. 26, recommended an average 3.8 percent increase in base room rates and
an average 4.3 percent increase in meal plan prices, which was approved Monday. Rates for single apartments in 1300 and Morgan Hall will increase the most, by 7.5 percent each. With the added fees, the residence hall charge for a single apartment in Morgan will rise above $6,000, making it the second-most expensive Temple living option, behind a single room in the housing complex for Temple’s School of Podiatric Medicine. Freshman dormitories Johnson, Hardwick and Pea-
body halls will rise the least, with rate increases capped at 2.8 percent. The total charge for a two-person bedroom in any of these halls next year will be just under $3,600 a semester. Though some new revenue will be coming in from holding academic conferences in Morgan Hall, the Office of University Housing and Residential Life still predicts a net loss of more than 65 percent after university aid. Ken Kaiser, chief financial officer and treasurer, said the goal of the increases is to “make
housing profitable by 2018.” On March 3, the Academic Affairs Committee authorized the renaming of the department of critical languages in the College of Liberal Arts to the department of Asian and Middle Eastern languages and studies. The critical languages department was established in 1970 when the federal government needed more citizens to be fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindu and Korean. The committee said it believes the new name will better reflect the department’s func-
tion. Other trustee committees, such as the Government Relations and External Affairs Committee and the Alumni Relations and Development Committee, met over spring break, but their meetings were in executive session, which is closed to the public. Joe Brandt and Edward Barrenechea can be reached at news@temple-news.com.
University officials aim to increase alumni giving Total dollars raised from donations ahead of schedule. MARCUS MCCARTHY Assistant News Editor The bar for alumni giving was set last year, but university officials said they feel they can top it. The goal is to raise $4 million more than last year and increase the participation rate, a welcome prospect from highranking Temple administrators. After the last fiscal year ended on June 30, a total of $65.8 million in donations and pledges had been reported, an all-time university record. Institutional Advancement, the office that oversees fundraising,
aims to surpass the record by amassing $70 million in donations, Interim Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Tilghman Moyer said. The university increased funding for Institutional Advancement by $1.3 million for this fiscal year. Moyer said the figures have been on track to meet the goal with 50 percent more money raised than they had this time last year. However, Moyer said the number of donors is “slightly behind by a few hundred alumni donors” compared to last year’s numbers, something he said isn’t of much concern with less than four months to go until the figures are final. As of last year, Temple’s alumni participation rate came in at 7 percent, a point Temple
has mostly sat at for the last decade. Moyer said that in a detailed study a few years ago, it was found that these numbers are typical of urban and historically commuter colleges. However, this doesn’t keep administrators from aiming to match higher rates at other nearby universities. Penn State had an alumni participation rate of 30 percent and the University of Pittsburgh’s rate was 35 percent last year. These numbers also serve another purpose. In the annual U.S. News & World Report that ranks colleges, alumni participation rate is factored into the decision. In the 2013 report, alumni participation served a minor role among the sevencategory test with this number contributing an estimated 5
percent of the decision-making. Additionally, the alumni participation rate is requested by foundations in their decision-making process to donate grants. “It’s an area that certainly this office can impact in those rankings,” Moyer said. “I think it’s a place where alumni can feel like they’re making an impact on the rankings of the university. The higher the ranking, the more value the Temple degree has.” Alumni donations are typically given with restrictions on what the money may be used for. The most common purposes are to fund a scholarship via the endowment or invest in capital, such as constructing new buildings. In Fiscal Year 2012, $9 million in donations went to-
ward student support and $10.5 million went toward campus development. Temple’s chief financial officer and treasurer Ken Kaiser said an unrestricted donation – one without a desired designation by the donor – may help with the budget, but isn’t as long-term beneficial for Temple. “If [Moyer] came in and said, ‘Hey, I got a $10 million gift just unrestricted for operations, I’d say, ‘That’s great, give me the check,’” Kaiser said. “But what’s it really going to do for Temple in the long run? To get endowed gifts or for capital, they’re really transformational.” In November, trustee Lewis Katz made a pledge to donate $25 million to the university, an all-time record for Temple. Kaiser said it has yet to be deter-
mined if Katz wants the money to go toward a certain designation. Moyer said that this donation has not been added into the figures for total dollars raised. When asked if there was a noticeable fluctuation in alumni support following the elimination of seven non-revenue sports in December, Moyer said he didn’t see one in the statistics. “I’m not that naive to think that it hasn’t affected some people’s decisions to make a gift,” Moyer said. “But we’re not seeing the drop-off that perhaps those that aren’t closest to the program think that we would see.” Marcus McCarthy can be reached at marcus.mccarthy@temple.edu or on Twitter @MarcusMcCarthy6.
Admin. goes to Harrisburg to argue for funding President Theobald and officials presented to state House and Senate. MARCUS MCCARTHY Assistant News Editor A number of Temple administrators and officials including President Theobald made the roughly two-hour trip to the state capitol building in Harrisburg on Feb. 24 to answer questions in front of the state House and Senate Appropriations committees. The topic of discussion was state funding for Temple and the three other state-related universities: Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh and
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Lincoln University. Gov. Corbett announced his budget on Feb. 4 that proposed keeping Temple’s current state appropriations level at $139.9 million for the next fiscal year, a figure that was the main debate of the hearings. The Senate hearing was in the morning and the House hearing was in the afternoon. Theobald received positive reception from legislators when he expressed a desire to keep college affordable. Theobald specifically touched on the Fly in 4 initiative, a program introduced Feb. 3 that issues 500 scholarships per grade to selected students in order to limit their outside work hours and guarantee their four year graduation. “What you are doing with Fly in
4 will help to ensure that people will have access to a quality higher education,” said Rep. Cherelle Parker, a Philadelphia Democrat. Another Philadelphia Democrat and Temple Law School alum, Sen. Larry Farnese, specifically asked Theobald the reason for the athletic cuts, which were announced in December and have attracted a large amount of criticism from athletes, coaches and the public. “There have been numerous arguments put out in opposition,” Farnese said. “The advocates of keeping these programs have answered each and every rebuttal that the school has put forth…could you just tell us for the record, what is the reason for closing these programs down?”
NEWS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
In response, Theobald said he wanted the university to come into compliance with the federal genderequality law, Title IX, by mirroring the gender ratio of the student body with the athletic scholarships money distribution. He said the first two options were to either add women’s swimming and diving or to raise tuition via an athletics fee, neither of which Theobald said he preferred. “We eliminated baseball, men’s gymnastics, men’s indoor track, men’s outdoor track,” Theobald said. “And we will take those scholarships, we’re not cutting the athletic budget, we’re reallocating that to women’s field hockey, women’s lacrosse and women’s rowing so that we will be able to bring ourselves into compliance with
Title IX.” Softball is also slated to be cut by July 1. It was announced last week that Temple is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for possible Title IX compliance issues. Ken Lawrence, senior vice president of government, community and public affairs, said an inquiry by Farnese about repetition of classes in the law school is being looked into. The next step for the budget negotiations is to wait for the state tax revenues to come in during April and May. Marcus McCarthy can be reached at marcus.mccarthy@temple.edu or on Twitter @MarcusMcCarthy6.
NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
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George Moore, 67, dies of cancer Meeting MOORE PAGE 1 Moore decided to give Tucker work and since few African Americans were Philadelphia lawyers at the time, Moore was helping to set precedent. Tucker told those gathered that Moore once said, “Unless someone changes the course, it’ll never change.” “If someone was going to upset the status quo, it was going to be him,” Tucker said of Moore. As university counsel, Moore was known to have a quick memory and deep understanding of the laws that applied to Temple. “He was able to recall a single
phrase he had written in a document 10 years ago,” Assistant Board of Trustees Secretary Janet Carruth said in her speech at the service. Moore was a devoted Temple sports fan. “At games, George was always cheering, and his voice got hoarser and hoarser,” Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick O’Connor said in his speech at the service. He was also a frequent griller and wine connoisseur. Moore was known for making cheese sausages on the grill and sharing them among the people he invited to his tailgates, which included
Temple people from office workers to administrators. “But God forbid you ask him for a burger cooked medium or well done,” Carruth said. “If you did, he’d just pick any one, give it to you, and say ‘Here, just the way you want it.’” Moore shared his wit with his children as well. “When I was in third grade, I asked him about DARE [Drug Abuse Resistance Education]. He said I should suggest to my teacher that the name be changed Drugs Are Really Excellent,” Moore’s daughter Emily, 31, said in her speech at the service. “He didn’t want
me to do drugs. He wanted to encourage me to think outside the box.” Moore is survived by his wife Jennifer, his daughters Emily and Jenna, his sons Sam and Nick, sister Diane and numerous cousins. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Temple, where they will go to international studies, scholarships and the schools of art and law.
Joe Brandt can be reached at joseph.brandt@temple.edu or on Twitter @JBrandt_TU.
President Theobald (seated right) sits next to Chairman of the Board of Trustees Patrick O’Connor at the memorial service held for George Moore, secretary to the board and university counsel, who died on March 2 of pancreatic cancer. | ERIC DAO TTN
Staff Reports | Student Government
Preparations begin for Owls on Hill Temple Student Government is planning for this year’s lobbying trip. JOE GILBRIDE The Temple News Before the annual contingent of student lobbyists goes to Harrisburg on April 29, Temple’s administration wants to prepare them to act more like a flock and less like a swarm. The Owls on the Hill program, which sends students each year to the state legislature to get representatives to address Temple’s funding needs, will be preceded this year by a series of classes to prepare students for the challenge of speaking with legislators. The six-week program, dubbed Owl Academy, will be mandatory for students who wish to go to Harrisburg. According to Temple Student Government, which has advocated for the program, the classes are designed to make Owls on the Hill a more focused initiative that will stick in the minds of legislators. “In the past we tried to send as many students as possible,” said Student Body President Darin Bartholomew. “This year, we’re aiming for less students and more scheduled planning ahead of time.” Bartholomew said the classes will teach how to be a good advocate and how to hold close conversations with legislators and they will give details on the legislative process and the history of Temple. Past Owls on the Hill dates have garnered large support from students, faculty and alumni, and Bartholomew said Temple’s measure of success has always been the number of voices calling out the importance of the university to the state. “The purpose is purely to remind the legislature how important Temple is to the Commonwealth,” Bartholomew said.
In 2013, President Theobald went to Harrisburg to lobby the state for relief from rising tuition costs. Despite his effort and the Owls on the Hill program, the state voted not to increase its annual appropriation for the university and funding stayed at $139.9 million. Flat-funding was set for all of the staterelated universities: Temple, Lincoln University, Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh. In February, Gov. Corbett proposed to again keep funding flat. Ultimately, the state doesn’t levy tuition costs on students: it is the determination of the universities. Before the 2013-14 academic year, Temple increased tuition by $400 for in-state undergraduates and $600 for out-of-state
undergraduates. Barring an increase in appropriations from the state, Theobald said next year’s tuition could be affected. With an increasing reliance on state funding, Temple’s administration has said it is building new sources of revenue so that tuition costs aren’t based on the state’s appropriation decision every year. In his inauguration speech, Theobald announced plans to allocate $50 million to research over the next five years. Additionally, alumni donations have become a larger priority, with the university targeting large and small donors. In November, millionaire Temple trustee Lewis Katz pledged to donate $25 million to the university for an unspecified purpose.
In the meantime, state funding remains a vital source of revenue and the Owls on the Hill program has steadily expanded to fit the need. Last year, Bartholomew said participants could attend two classes before going to Harrisburg and close to 60 people came to them, far exceeding the university’s expectations. This year, Bartholomew said the focus is more on “quality rather than quantity.” “We’re planning to have sit-down meetings with legislators,” Bartholomew said. “That means fewer students, because if you want to get legislators, you have to go super early.” Joe Gilbride can be reached at joe.gilbride@temple.edu.
Student Body President Darin Bartholomew is leading preparations for “Owl on the Hill Day,” an annual trip by Temple students to lobby for funding in the state capital. | JACOB COLON TTN FILE PHOTO
held to discuss library
Administrators and architects meet to discuss features of the new library. JOE GILBRIDE The Temple News With a new library scheduled to be completed in 2018, Temple’s library administrators met with student representatives to get feedback on what students want in the building. Andrew Simmers, a representative from the Temple Libraries Student Advisory Board, brought student suggestions to administrators at a meeting on March 5. Dean of University Libraries Joseph Lucia and Associate University Librarian Steven Bell headed the meeting, Simmers said, and the administrators brought a design study of all the things they want the library to do. They compiled suggestions from the student body through Visualize Temple and looked at the designs of recently built university libraries around the country. Most requests asked for longer hours and a large café to keep students in the library during late-night study sessions and more collaborative work areas, Simmers said. After looking at recent libraries, administrators found that many had painted lines to make the floors easier to navigate, a frequent criticism of Paley Library, Simmers said. “The biggest suggestion was for more collaborative spaces,” Simmers said. “In Paley, there are only a few small rooms.” Additionally, students came to the board with concerns about research material being accessible at the new library, Simmers said. Snøhetta, the Norwegian architecture firm designing the new library, has built libraries around the world, with some featuring robotic storage systems to hold large amounts of research data. Simmers said Temple’s new library will have a robotic system, with plans to house 1.6 million to 1.7 million books digitally and 250,000 books in open browsing. The new library was originally slated to be built at a site on Broad Street, but Temple raised concerns that it would take the “anchor of academics” away from its central location on Main Campus, Simmers said. He added that the move would add a significant number of people crossing Broad Street to get to the library. With the new Science Education and Research Center going up on 12th Street, the university chose to change its previous plans for the new library to replace the site at Barton Hall. There are no plans as of yet for Paley Library after the new library is built, Simmers said, and two to three months will be needed to move books and research materials from the old library to the new one before the planned 2018 completion date. As of now, multiple design firms are working on what the new library will look like. Temple will release the designs to the public this fall, Simmers said. Before then, administrators will meet again with graduate and undergraduate representatives from the library advisory board to show off designs and make sure they are well-received. Joe Gilbride can be reached at joseph.gilbride@temple.edu.
EDITORIAL/OP-ED
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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Joey Cranney, Editor-in-Chief Jenelle Janci, Managing Editor Cheyenne Shaffer, Chief Copy Editor John Moritz, News Editor Jerry Iannelli, Opinion Editor Erin Edinger-Turoff, Living Editor Patricia Madej, Arts & Entertainment Editor Avery Maehrer, Sports Editor Marcus McCarthy, Asst. News Editor Evan Cross, Asst. Sports Editor Jessica Smith, Asst. Living Editor Sam Tighe, Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Dustin Wingate, Multimedia Editor Alexandra Snell, Multimedia Editor Chris Montgomery, Web Editor
Patrick McCarthy, Asst. Web Editor Abi Reimold, Photography Editor Andrew Thayer, Asst. Photography Editor Addy Peterson, Design Editor Katherine Kalupson, Designer E.J. Smith Designer Donna Fanelle, Designer Zachary Campbell, Advertising Manager Grayson Holladay, Business Manager Morgan Hutchinson, Marketing Manager
The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community. Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News. Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News. Visit us online at temple-news.com. Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com. The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
EDITORIALS
Increase alumni support
KATIE HENNESSY TTN
In looking for fundraising young people in America attend dollars to support student in- universities, Temple must convestment, Temple has increas- tinue to make a concerted effort to attract those ingly relied upon remain large sums laid Large donations from a who out by a small small group of alumni are marginalized by not sustainable. the mainstream percentage of its university netalumni network. As reported in “Fundrais- work. Increased alumni donaing values rise, support lags” on page 1, despite a growing tions allow for more scholaramount of monetary support ships that give opportunities from alumni, the percentage to underprivileged students to of donors who give back to receive an education. For that reason, we call on Temple has flatlined at around 7 percent for most of the past alumni to think seriously about responding to the pleas for dodecade. While it is a positive sign nations that so often get thrown that donations to the university out with the junk mail. It is priare growing, it raises concerns marily through the support of about the sustainability of a alumni that new generations fundraising profile that centers of students can be given the around a narrow group of do- chance to succeed at Temple. While decisions like the nors. In order to better sustain and build upon its fundraising one to cut five nonrevenue income, Temple must find new sports leave a bad taste in the and innovative ways to draw mouths of potential donors, support from its 292,000 living there is room to grow. The realumni, especially the 160,000 instatement of crew and rowing who still reside in the Philadel- came after a charitable donation to help refurbish the East Park phia area. Russell Conwell’s found- Canoe House. ing vision for Temple was for a Both the administration university that would offer sec- and alumni must take greater ondary education to those who steps to ensure that the Conwell typically fell outside of the col- legacy is thriving for years to lege bracket. As more and more come.
FROM THE ARCHIVES...
Keep security consistent Anyone can walk into Bar- rity. ton Hall. Of course, the university The Main Campus physi- must keep abreast of security cal science building does not issues when they arise, and the boast any sort of Upgrading security at October break-in security desk or exposed a mascertain halls should entrance checksive flaw in sepoint whatso- come after Barton Hall is curity on Main protected. ever. When the Campus – many building’s doors are unlocked, of Anderson and Gladfelter’s virtually any human being in egress doors are completely unthe North Philadelphia area can guarded during school hours. waltz into the structure unhinHowever, it is important dered, from tenured professor to to note the inconsistencies in would-be burglar. security that still exist between However, Barton Hall is buildings on Main Campus. not the building that was ap- While virtually every dormiproved for security upgrades on tory building on Main Campus March 5. is kept under strict lock and key, Last week, the Facili- Barton Hall – one of the older ties Committee of the Board academic buildings on Main of Trustees recommended a Campus – does not regularly $287,000 increase in spending keep security guards posted at to beef up security in Anderson its main entrances whatsoever. and Gladfelter Halls. The up- While Barton Hall is slated for grades come as a direct response demolition in Summer 2015, to a break-in that occurred in this does not mean that the Anderson Hall on Oct. 29. students currently inside do Ancillary doors will be out- not deserve security. In this infitted with equipment designed stance, upgrading egress doors to delay unauthorized exits from at Anderson and Gladfelter feels each building, in an attempt to more reactionary than it does prevent unauthorized person- necessary. nel from sneaking into their While security upgrades multiple unguarded doorways. are almost always necessary, It is believed that the suspect the administration should work who entered Anderson Hall in to ensure that every building is October and assaulted a faculty protected to the best of the unimember entered through a door versity’s ability. that was not guarded by secu-
CORRECTIONS The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles. 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 Joey Cranney at
March 7, 1990: Temple police are outfitted with bulletproof vests. Temple supplied its police force with increased armor and protection in the Spring 1990 semester. Last week, the Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees recommended that Temple spend $287,000 to improve door security at Anderson and Gladfelter Halls.
Can grads overcome housing crisis? Are student loans hampering graduates’ ability to buy homes?
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s the graduating students of the Class of 2014 prepare to don their caps and gowns and choose a city to live in, there still remains one eventual challenge: purchasing a new house with a nearly insurmountable amount of debt. Romsin McQuade A n d with the university’s recent adoption of the Fly-in-4 initiative, it seems that Temple is at least attempting to counter and lessen the burden of students working extra hours. But for many students who cannot work, loans are often the only option. These drowning loans, coupled with a sense of hopelessness, certainly cast a bleak outlook for many prospective graduates searching for houses. According to Dina ElBoghdady’s unsettling Feb. 17 article in the Washington Post, student
loan debt “has tripled from [10 years ago], to more than $1 trillion, while wages for young college graduates have dropped.” She said this debt “threatens to undermine the housing recovery’s momentum by discouraging, or even blocking, a generation of potential buyers from purchasing their first homes.” Temple’s Office of Alumni Relations estimates that more than half of the u n i v e r s i t y ’s 292,520 alumni live in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the rising cost of living in Philadelphia, coupled with student loan debt, may lead students to wonder: Can any graduates afford to purchase a home in Philadelphia? “I never really planned to live in the city after college because I already knew how expensive it is to live down here,” said Patricia Kessler, a sophomore communications major. Yet, even with Philadelphia’s lesser-known nickname – the “City of Neighborhoods” – and the rapid demographic shifts in various areas of town, from Rittenhouse Square to
Fairmount, purchasing a house can still prove difficult. As ElBoghdady said, the problem lies in college graduates not being able to “save for a down payment or qualify for a mortgage.” The Institute for College Access and Success’ database, “The Project on Student Debt,” shows that Temple’s Class of 2011 graduates possessed an average of $32,766 in debt. Combine this with hopes of staying in Philadelphia, and there are bleak outlooks. Still, as the National Association of Colleges and Employers reported, the average starting salary for the Class of 2013 was $45,327. The number of Philadelphians who earned in this range decreased by 2 percent between 2011 and 2012, while at the other end of the spectrum, the number of households earning more than $200,000 increased by nearly 17 percent, according to census data. Despite what Van Buren from the 1950s musical “Damn Yankees” said, settling in a city that seems so economically di-
“Can any
graduates afford to purchase a home in Philadelphia?
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vided seems to require more than just “heart.” Junior College of Health Professions and Social Work student Sarah Giskin said the census data realistically shows that “Philadelphia [will be] even more attractive for the rich to settle down in, and for tourists to visit.” “I, like most students, plan to get a job wherever they will take me,” Giskin said. “I would love to stay in Philly, but as a person who will be in [a lot of debt] I do not have the luxury of choosing where I want to live.” Some students, like senior speech pathology major Rebecca Thomas, said they harbor unsure attitudes about having a future of living – at least, right after college – in Philadelphia. “It’s becoming a bit tougher for [Temple students],” Thomas said. “I know I’m going to have a bunch of loans and I’m not going to have the wages to [live in Philadelphia]. It’s a shame, but I get that cities have to expand.” And with a quizzical look, she asked, “What do you do?” Romsin McQuade can be reached at romsin.mcquade@temple.edu.
COMMENTARY
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
PAGE 5
Copious cameras and Temple’s illusion of safety There are 500 cameras on Main Campus. Should students be concerned?
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ach day, a team of 4,000 robotic eyes captures every mundane second of life in Lower Manhattan. New York’s “Ring of Steel” – known legally as the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative – keeps a daily watch over 1.7 square miles worth of the city’s most densely populated borough. The New York Police Department has access to more than 4,000 surveillance cameras in Jerry Iannelli the area, about half city-operated and half privately owned. A few hundred exist solely to collect and catalogue the license plate number of every car that drives through town. If you drop a dollar in Battery Park, the NYPD can feasibly repeat back to you the bill’s serial number within minutes. Media outlets as far-reaching as New York magazine, CNN and the New York Times have questioned the dragnet’s cost, efficacy and effect on civil liberties since the NYPD began beefing up its camera presence in 2006. Do the cameras actually prevent crime? There’s conflicting evidence. Should New Yorkers be allowing the city government to record their every move? Maybe, maybe not. I bring this up because Temple’s Main Campus actually boasts more cameras per acre than Lower Manhattan. Temple Police operate roughly 500 cameras around Main Campus, Acting Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an interview with The Temple News. While this number is fairly in line with standards set around the Philadelphia
area ¬– there are roughly 600 cameras on the University of Pennsylvania’s main campus and about 2,000 blanketed across Rutgers-New Brunswick – what’s remarkable is just how many lenses are crammed into Temple’s miniscule Main Campus. According to Temple’s website, Main Campus takes up close to 114 acres of North Philadelphia real estate. Averaged out over the entire campus, this means that there are roughly 4.4 cameras per acre of Temple property. N o w, four cameras within an acre of land don’t seem like a particularly huge red flag on their own. However, the 4,000 or so cameras jammed into Lower Manhattan’s 1.7 square miles – 1,088 acres for those of us that don’t harvest snow peas – only average out to about 3.6 cameras per acre. This campus has topped the surveillance rate of a city condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union for warrantless surveillance. Both Penn and Rutgers average around two cameras per acre. Before anyone throws themselves
into a tizzy, let’s be clear: Temples does not – yet – operate a paramilitary operation. According to a 2010 Bloomburg.com article, the NYPD’s camera systems include heat, chemical and biological sensors that Temple Police seem far from adopting. “ W e don’t get into zoom
technology, panning, stuff like that,” Leone said. “We don’t want privacy issues. We’re trying to stay away from being ‘Big Brother.’” Moreover, we’re still not even talking “police state” security. Beijing, often touted as the most-watched city on the planet, boasts an estimated 800,000 cameras within its confines, according to an Atlantic Cities piece from November 2013. Astonishingly, London’s own “Ring of Steel” crams an estimated 500,000 cameras into the single square mile that encompasses the ultra-historic “City of London” in the center of town. Still, this is a campus where cameras drape from the corners of ceilings, peer from l i g h t p o s t s and gaze out from rooftops at a dumbfounding rate, and the jury seems to be out as to whether mass surveillance actually works to prevent crime. “[Cameras] are really useful when IDing a subject,” Leone explained. “When we had that guy break into Anderson Hall [on Oct. 29], we got a great shot of the guy and were able to send out the footage to Philadelphia police quickly.” While it’s nearly impossible to argue against the use of photographic evidence during a criminal investigation, gauging whether cameras actually make anyone safer is a bit tougher. In 2011, Temple’s Center
for Security and Crime Science analyzed the efficacy of the 200 closedcircuit television cameras Philadelphia police added to the city in 2006, and found that the cameras had caused only a modest decrease in burglaries – .75 fewer per week – and was unable to prove that violent crime had reduced at more than an exploratory level. Furthermore, a study of CCTV and crime prevention conducted in 2005 for the British Home Office concluded that surveillance cameras have done next-to-nothing to prevent petty crime throughout Great Britain, which spends more than 20 percent of its defense budget on surveillance. The report suggested that paying staffers to monitor surveillance systems 24/7 would work to preempt crime, but livemonitoring camera systems come with some serious civil liberty reservations. Leone said Temple does not consistently monitor its feeds in real-time, though there is the capability to do so. So how should students feel about the swath of lenses packed into Main Campus? Yes, stockpiles of video footage can be invaluable forensics tools, and the physical presence of cameras may deter would-be purse-snatchers from purse-snatching. But, in an era where the implications of the National Security Agency’s worldwide data dragnet have yet to become clear, students shouldn’t simply accept that constant surveillance comes part-and-parcel with life in North Philly. The ACLU maintains that CCTV systems are subject to abuse by law enforcement’s “bad apples,” who may use footage to blackmail political enemies or fulfill their, um, voyeuristic tendencies. Though it’s unclear whether all these eyeballs are necessary, the next time you make eye contact with the soulless lens of a security camera, remember that it isn’t keeping you safe as much as it’s making it easier for police to arrest you. Jerry Iannelli can be reached at jerryi@temple.edu or on Twitter @jerryiannelli.
Classes migrate to web after winter weather Dropping and leaving THE ESSAYIST...
Professors are increasingly holding class online during snow days.
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t’s been a crazy winter. Temple has canceled classes for Main Campus three days this semester, delayed opening three times and closed early three times, all due to snow. Many students spent those days frolicking and maksnowJoe Brandt ing men, but that may soon be a thing of the past. Some professors, particularly those in the most-delayed morning classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, have decided to hold class online to make up for lost ground. The primary threat to North Philadelphia’s population of snowmen is not mischief-makers, but rather a teleconferencing service called WebEx Communications Inc., which some Temple professors use to hold the online classes. WebEx is provided by the networking corporation Cisco Systems Inc., which in recent years has been sued for antitrust lawsuits and condemned for allegedly helping the Chinese government censor its Internet. It is also known for making cheap and nearly-ubiquitous desk telephones. A student taking a class on WebEx is emailed a link to a video chat with the professor and other students. When
the professor asks questions, students can raise their online “hand” and be called on. The professor can also require students to click a green check to make sure they understand the lesson. If not, the student can click the red “X” instead. Responses are mixed on the program’s effectiveness. “Colleges and universities can provide rich online environments for learning and collaboration that engage students beyond the boundaries of the traditional brick-and-mortar campus,” according to WebEx’s website. There are two problems with that statement: multiple students have reported that the environment is not always rich and the technology does not always cooperate. “When you’re online, it’s just more separated,” Hunter Decker, a freshman architecture major, said. Decker took English 802 online last semester. While some in-person lessons would be crippled by a lack of functioning technology, all online classes would. All of the students reached for this article said their online class was disrupted regularly due to technical difficulties on one end or another. Freshman business education major Jade Byrd said it has been difficult for her online class’ professor to deal with technology issues. “He tries, but sometimes it’s pointless and he just gives us credit and lets us go early,” Byrd said. “To start the semester, we didn’t really get much work done due to technical difficulties,” freshman art major An-
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drea Dougherty said of her online English 802 class. “It took a few weeks to get a feel for the software and become comfortable with it.” All new ideas are expected to go through growing pains, but this might be too much. Is it really worth it to try to replace a real class with a shoddy online effort if it interrupts what could be a therapeutic day of warm mittens and hot cocoa? “Since the class was in the morning, I got it out of the way and was able to enjoy my day off,” sophomore speech, language and hearing science major Georjenna Gatto said in an email. But if students have class online all day, is it still going to be enjoyable? During a stressful week, snow days can be a godsend. “A mental health day can provide a much-needed break to pause, regroup and come back with greater levels of energy and a fresh, less-stressed perspective,” said wellness coach Elizabeth Scott. A snow day is a freer kind of mental health day, since lots of people are taking it at once. I worry for the future of the snow day. I am worried that Main Campus will one day be absent of snowmen, snow forts, snowball fights and the like, since students will be too busy with the same old routine – and some might just be ready to tear their hair out.
Is there any merit in dropping out of school and moving away without a plan?
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By Daniel Craig
ife works in cycles, and most of the time, those cycles end in formal goodbyes. You say goodbye to some of your grade-school friends when you finish eighth grade, your high school friends when you turn 18 and your college friends whenever you graduate – so at Temple, after about eight years. It’s tough, but there’s time to prepare emotionally. It feels fitting, if not good, like a rite of passage. But sometimes those cycles end when you’re not ready. Recently one of my closest friends at Temple left to live in New Orleans after dropping out of school. Entering his senior year, he decided he wasn’t happy in his major, and after working at home for the past several months, set out in his car toward Louisiana to stay with a friend. His plans are far from concrete. Embracing the potential adventure in it, he said he hopes to get a job to save some money, but after that it’s pretty much an open road. It was difficult saying goodbye to him. He was one of Joe Brandt can be reached at the first friends I made at Temjoseph.brandt@temple.edu or on ple. We lived in the same dorm Twitter @JBrandt7. freshman year, and ever since then the group we run with has done pretty much everything together.
LETTERS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
And even though I knew he’d been leaving for a while, when he finally said his goodbyes, it was tough. He was the first to go, and the inevitable departure of my friends and me into post-college life will make it harder and harder to stay in touch. That’s a terribly overused cliché, but it doesn’t seem like one when it actually starts happening to you. There was the expected backlash from people in our circle. “He should just finish school!” they shouted. “He doesn’t have a plan.” I had my initial doubts as well. However, I have to admit that they were motivated by my own selfish desire for him to stay. And the more I think about it, the more jealous I am of him. I, like many Temple students, have to take an extra semester to graduate. Looking ahead at the next year, I’m excited to see the fruits of my labor start to materialize as I inch closer to finishing school. But the flipside of that is that I’m here in North Philly for another semester, whether I like it or not. That means more papers, more tests and more obligations, coupled with my part-time job and most likely another internship to boost my precious résumé. Every task completed is just a precursor to something else I have to do. Certainly, I don’t mean to complain about the privilege of higher education afforded to me. But deep down I can feel the commitments I’ve made tying me down, restraining me to make sure I’m in bed Sunday
night for work the next morning. I can feel it pulling, leading me to constantly check dates to make sure everything is submitted on time. It’s relentless and never-ending. So after my friend left, what should have been sadness was envy. I couldn’t suppress the idea of cutting all of my ties and heading anywhere. Seriously, imagine it. Take a moment to imagine breaking free from everything you’re stuck to. Take that mental vacation. Don’t worry, it won’t last too long. You just got an email you have to respond to. Eventually I came out of that admittedly over-dramatic funk. Ultimately I’m relatively satisfied with the direction my life is headed and look back at my bigger decisions with little regret. But after seeing my friend, who wasn’t in that position, have the ability to recognize that and get out of it, I know that if I ever don’t like where I’m headed I’ll do something different. He knew that many disapproved of his decision, but did what he felt like he needed to do. He saw where he was going, and knew he didn’t really want to get there. We’re all slaves to routine to a certain degree, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, when you become chained down by your means and aren’t happy with what the ends will be, the routine becomes nothing more than a false sense of security. Dan Craig can be reached at daniel.craig@temple.edu.
NEWS
PAGE 6
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
In The Nation SATS TO FACE OVERHAUL The SAT college admissions test will undergo major structural changes in the near future. College Board, the company that owns and administers the 88-year-old test, has announced plans to remove the grammar section and return the test to a 1600-point scale of grading. The essay portion will become optional, leaving mandatory “evidence-based reading and writing” as well as math sections. Some elements of the math section will not allow calculators. If done, the essay will be graded individually. The changes are part of a new plan by College Board President David Coleman to discourage the economic class segregating SAT preparatory classes typically needed to teach subjects that appear on the test, something grade schools largely stopped teaching. -Marcus McCarthy
PITT ANNOUNCES NEW CHANCELLOR The University of Pittsburgh Board Of Trustees elected its new chancellor on Feb. 8. Patrick Gallagher, 50, will replace Pitt’s longstanding chancellor, Mark Nordenberg, in August after the former steps down. Although Gallagher doesn’t have experience in higher education, he is an alumnus of the university and serves as the acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Nordenberg announced in June that he would step down by August after having served for almost two decades. Penn State, another state-related university, approved its new president, Eric J. Bannon, on Feb. 16. He will take over in May. -Marcus McCarthy
A photo of George Moore stands on display at his memorial service held in the Temple University Performing Arts Center on Sunday, March 9. Moore, who died of pancreatic cancer on March 2, served as secretary to the Board of Trustees and university counsel for more than 20 years. No successor has been named to fill his position. | ERIC DAO TTN
The University of Pennsylvania came in at 22, Pennsylvania State University at 39 and the University of Pittsburgh in the 71-80 range. Nearby universities received recognition as well with Rutgers and the University of Maryland both being in the Top 100. Overall, the United States was labeled an “undisputed superpower when it comes to university brands” according to the creators of the list. Of the Top 100 universities ranked, 46 of them were from the U.S. with the next closest country, the U.K., having 10.
be compromised by an overseas hacker. It appears that no one’s information was taken, according to a statement signed by the interim chancellor of North Dakota University. This is the second case of a university’s server being hacked in less than a month. On Feb. 18, the University of Maryland reported a cyber-breach of its server containing information on 300,000 students, alumni, faculty and staff. Similar steps were taken in both cases to report the breach and offer free one-year identity theft protection.
-Marcus McCarthy
PA. COLLEGES RANKED AMONG BEST IN THE WORLD
NORTH DAKOTA UNIVERSITY SERVERS BREACHED IN CYBER The Pennsylvania higher education system ATTACK
received high praise from the Times Higher EducaA server belonging to the North Dakota higher tion, a leading magazine out of the U.K. On March 6, education system containing 290,000 current and the publication released their annual ranking of the combined academic and research reputations to all former students’ personal information, including social security numbers, was discovered on Feb. 7 to universities in the world.
-Marcus McCarthy
Crime POLICE RELEASE NAMES OF SUSPECTS IN LET OUT SHOOTING Police publicly identified the two men they say were involved in the shootout outside a nightclub
close to Main Campus on Feb. 23 that resulted in one of the men being shot in the knee and a Temple student being grazed by a bullet. A Philadelphia police spokesperson confirmed that an arrest warrant has been issued for Jermill Edwards, 32, of the 2800 block of Fletcher Street. If caught, the police plan to charge Edwards with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and related charges, the spokesperson said in an email. The second man police identified as Mike Jones, 37, has been charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and further related charges. Jones was shot in the knee during the shotout, which involved several security guards working at the Let Out, a club located on the corner of Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Willington Street. Jones took himself to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatment, where he was later arrested. The security guards all had carry permits and were not charged in the incident, police said. -Marcus McCarthy
Department of Ed. investigates disability policy DISABILITY PAGE 1 vate, oftentimes professors take the opportunity to question the student as to why they need this accommodation and what the nature of their disability is.” According to Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, “It is the student’s responsibility to identify him/her to the university as having a disability, and submit any required documentation, prior to engaging in any activity for which accommodation is being requested.” The act does not, however, go into specifics about the delivery process, a factor Harris aims to correct and make clear in a new Disability Accommodation Procedure and Protection Policy which he submitted to Temple Student Government in addition to his grievance against the uni-
versity. “No member of university staff or any participant in any university activity or program has the right to initiate a conversation about a student’s disability or their right to an ADA accommodation,” Harris’ policy states. In addition, the policy amends that students would no longer have to physically deliver letters of accommodation to a faculty or staff member, instead they can opt to email the letter. Harris submitted a draft of this new policy to Student Body President Darin Bartholomew, who is working with Spector to implement it. “We read over his proposal and we’re happy to report that changing the delivery process of accommodation forms to allow for an electronic op-
tion is something that Temple is already working on,” Bartholomew said in an email. Harris said the discrimination and violation of privacy some students with a disability have experienced has led them to drop out. “It came to light through talking to many of my disabled peers at Temple and through [Spector’s] own words that many students complained of being abused by faculty because faculty members violate their privacy when they’re giving their accommodation letters,” Harris said. Harris said if the Department of Education finds Temple non-compliant with the disability law, he likely will file suit against the university. Harris is also advocating for the removal of Spector from the position of associate director of
Disability Resources and Services. “For three years under him he did allow for the unlawful discrimination of many students with disabilities, the most vulnerable of our academic community,” Harris said. While the investigation is taking place, Harris and fellow students are in the process of creating a student organization called Abilities Exchange that will teach students with disabilities how to advocate and protect themselves against discrimination. Sarai Flores can be reached at sarai.abisag.flores@temple.edu.
Monteiro supporters meet with Theobald, O’Connor MEETING PAGE 1 are the black people on this board?” toward Board Chairman Patrick O’Connor, who told Rhodes she was “out of order” and that protesters could bring up their concerns at the end of the meeting when “new business” could be addressed. After the trustees completed the remainder of scheduled discussion, O’Connor allowed comments from the audience members, who asked why Monteiro was fired. O’Connor promised to discuss the issue at a later time and adjourned the meeting. The crowd responded with a chant of “justice for Monteiro.” The crowd of students, alumni and community members then gathered and staged a sit-in in the second floor lobby of President Theobald’s office for about a half hour until the administrators made a deal to have a discussion with the protest’s leaders, on the condition that most of the crowd
leave the premises. “This is kind of unprecedented,” O’Connor said of the subsequent meeting, also attended by Theobald, Senior Vice President of Government, Community and Public Affairs Ken Lawrence, Athletic Director Kevin Clark and Special Assistant to the President Bill Bergman. “We have made a moral case because we feel an injustice,” Monteiro told the representatives at the meeting. “As long as [Soufas] is here, the relationship between this university and the black community is getting worse.” When asked about the possibility of a regularly scheduled meeting with members of the community, O’Connor said, “I think it’s a great idea. I’m in favor of it.” However, when Rhodes, the community resident, told Theobald she believed it was his duty
to meet with community members from the North Central District to discuss any topic of concern they had, Theobald said he disagreed. After O’Connor left to attend a separate meeting, Theobald continued the discussion, which continued to focus on the relationship between the university and the surrounding community, including the growing presence of gentrification. When asked about whether or not he had visited the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection of African-American historical documents, which is open to university students and faculty at its location directly below the president’s office in Sullivan Hall, Theobald said he had not been invited. Theobald’s comment drew uproar from the crowd, who asked why the president felt the need to be invited to the renowned collection. Theo-
bald appeared to grow flustered at the sudden negative reaction and left to teach a scheduled class in his office. “I’ve never been invited,” Theobald said. “And I don’t just go wandering around campus.” Lawrence later met and exchanged contact information with the protesters and said the two parties will arrange another meeting at a later date. “We’ll see what happens,” Monteiro said of the next meeting. “This is a matter of courage. It’s up to [Theobald]. It’s cut and dry that an unjust firing took place.” Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@temple.edu or on Twitter @JBrandt_TU.
Claire Sasko contributed reporting.
LIVING
owlery.temple-news.com GREEN LIVING
STATION ONE TRUCK
Columnist Toby Forstater argues that after an expensive winter, the Temple community should prioritize energy conservation. ONLINE
A new halal food truck has taken up residence on 13th Street. The owners said they want to eventually expand their menu. PAGE 18
temple-news.com
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
PAGE 7
Stripping down stereotypes Temple students who have worked as strippers discuss the emotional and financial impact of the controversial job.
ERIN EDINGER-TUROFF
Living Editor
book-heavy. I was like, ‘F--- it, if I keep stripping, I don’t ever have to burden someone by asking them for money.’”
Editor’s note: To protect their identities, some subjects’ names have been changed. CONVENIENCE AND MONEY Multiple students said When real names are used, it’s working as a stripper is benindicated in the story. eficial to their lifestyle due to nna is several inches the flexibility of the hours and shorter than the av- the income. Despite sometimes erage woman – but working until 5 a.m., students what she lacks in agree the main challenge of height, she makes up for in stripping isn’t balancing the work with course loads, but 9-inch platform heels. In February 2013, Lady confronting the negative conGaga broke fans’ hearts across notations tied to the controverthe country when she an- sial occupation. While the number of nounced her “Born This Way” tour was canceled due to a hip Temple students who work as injury – for some fans, however, strippers is unclear, some who the blow to their wallets was do said they’ve often worked more painful. Anna, a sopho- alongside women their age, more political science major, some of whom are also in colsaid she lost around $100 in lege. Anna said she’s seen other processing fees. The same women who she believed to night, feeling the financial loss, be strippers returning to Main Campus late at night. She reshe auditioned to be a stripper. It was her second semester membered seeing several of them walking into Morgan Hall. as a college student. Students of varying ages Anna started working at Show & Tel, a fully nude adult and backgrounds all agree: show bar on Columbus Bou- the ability to make substantial levard, the same night she au- amounts of money in a short ditioned. Anna said she made period of time is the defining $800 in tips the first night she benefit of stripping. Anna said the money is worked. One man tipped Anna $200 what kept her coming back. She also works a retail job for a $35 lap dance, she said. “In that moment, I was like, where she’s a store manager. ‘I could do this forever. Look The reason she keeps the job, at all this money,’” Anna said. she said, is so she continues to “And that can be dangerous, to get a regular paycheck and pay think like that, because you re- taxes, since all of her income ally – you don’t want to make it from stripping comes in cash. a career. There’s nothing wrong Technically, strippers in Philawith doing it, but you don’t delphia are required to get an want to do it forever, because it Entertainer’s License to work and must report their estimated does suck.” She’s already paid off her tips for tax purposes. The license, however, student loans for her first-year’s tuition and is able to support costs $300. Anna doesn’t have a license and said she thinks herself financially, she said. “I don’t have a lot of other most women she works with options to pay for college – it’s don’t either. Anna said her retail payvery expensive,” Anna said. “My classes tend to be very checks seem meager after strip-
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ping. One night at the strip club could earn her the same as a retail paycheck after working 40 hours per week. Even after moving on from Show & Tel to Gold Club on Chancellor Street, where she typically makes less because the club is smaller, the amount of money Anna makes stripping far exceeds what she makes at her day job.
THE ‘RATCHET’ WORKPLACE
Another student, Keri, had similar reasons to consider stripping. The now-deferred English major plans to return to Temple in the fall, when she’ll also return to the stripping jobs she had last summer before moving back home. What first got her interested, Keri said, was a close friend who stripped and brought home “stacks of money.” “I thought, I am not bashful in the slightest,” Keri said. “I can do this. I can be making that money myself.” Though she started at Show & Tel like Anna, Keri also worked at The Republican on Snyder Avenue. She described the atmosphere of The Republican as “more of a dive
ABI REIMOLD TTN
Anna remembered witness- or be male,” Anna said. “But bar with strippers,” and noted that she much preferred it to ing another stripper conceal- men as a whole, just as a genShow & Tel. Anna felt the same ing heroin paraphernalia and der, I am just disgusted by beway, calling Show & Tel “ratch- girls snorting crushed up pills cause I’ve worked at a strip et” – both students recalled en- with dollar bills “that they just club. Dudes are f---ing gross countering more uncomfortable pulled out of their thong.” if you put them in an environShe said she was never al- ment when they’re allowed to situations there than their other lowed on stage on weekends be gross.” workplaces. Keri said she once entered due to her height and athletic Anna said she can now a private dance room in Show build, so she gave lap dances pick her own music at Gold & Tel with a customer and un- instead. Club. She often dances to goth suspectingly put her hand into rock – it’s part of her stripping “a big pile of semen.” Though persona, which she called her she laughed at the memory, she CHALLENGING GENDER ROLES “gimmick.” She said although Keri and Anna offered difsaid she much prefers The Reshe doesn’t want to glamorize fering views on the clientele publican, where she said she the job, she also won’t vilify it, likes the owner. The owner of they’ve seen during their time noting that it can be empowerShow & Tel, Anna said, is less stripping. Both women said ing if approached from the right their sexuality played a role in likeable. mindset. On the busiest nights, Fri- their experience. “Think of it this way: inAnna, who called herself day and Saturday, Anna said the stead of sad, lonely strippers, Show & Tel owner made sure “pretty queer,” said the job has sad lonely guys with a lot of that the only girls on stage were turned her into a “misandrist.” money who have no one to “I love individual people “not just thin, but junkie-thin.” STRIPPERS PAGE 8 that just so happen to identify
Artwork For Stanton twins, a fruitful idea In defense of a liberal for every arts degree age group Rachel and Sarah Stanton created a fruit-based charitable organization.
Alyssa Wojcik teaches an art class at a Lancaster, Pa., retirement home. ALEXA BRICKER The Temple News Alyssa Wojcik worked in a retirement home kitchen when she was in high school, but she never imagined she would return to the same facility after college – the difference is now she uses her degree from Tyler School of Art in her work there. Wojcik said she knew since childhood that she wanted to take her passion for art further than creating her own work by helping people using her degree. Now, having graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in painting in 2012, Wojcik is bringing
WOJCIK PAGE 17
Obama’s comment that art history degrees won’t create jobs was callous.
BRIANNA SPAUSE The Temple News Twin sisters Rachel and Sarah Stanton believe in the personality of fruits. During their final year at Temple, the two created Fruitstrology, a charitable clothing line focused on promoting healthy eating in the local community. Their fruit-themed Tshirts and tank tops are part of a donation initiative – for every clothing product sold, a serving of fresh fruit is given to a child in need. The brightly-colored line includes eight types of fruit, from the “talkative grape” to the “easygoing banana,” and their bestseller, the “independent pineapple.” Each shirt is screen-pressed by either Rachel Stanton, a finance major, or Sarah Stanton, an entrepreneurship major, who both said they aim
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Rachel (right) and Sarah Stanton created Fruistrology, a charitable clothing line that donates servings of fruit to the community for each shirt they sell, each of which is printed with a fruit-based design. | COURTESY RACHEL STANTON to represent the variety of fruits available and highlight the potential for fun that accompanies eating healthy. Fruitstrology’s mission centers on education – through their descriptive clothing, the sisters said they want to encourage individuality, and through their charity work, they aim to teach children the importance of maintaining a balanced diet.
Rachel and Sarah Stanton were introduced to Uber Street Garden, an urban garden near Main Campus, through volunteering with Net Impact, a student organization that focuses on sustainable business practices. “We started urban gardening with kids and teaching them how to grow fruits and vegetables,” Rachel Stanton said. “Whatever they grew, they
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could take home with them. We thought that was really cool, and that’s how we started the beginnings of thinking of Fruitstrology.” Fruitstrology eventually grew into a charitable organization that donates fresh fruit to Philabundance’s KidsBites program after each sale from the clothing line. The afterschool
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n Jan. 30, President Obama told Wisconsin citizens, “I promise you, folks can make a lot more, potentially, with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree.” Perhaps offending liberal arts majors everywhere with his glib remark will inspire Obama Lora Strum to hire a betPolarized ter speechCampus writer – one of those lib-
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‘It’s a business transaction’
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
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spend it on,” Anna said. “Who’s pathetic now? I’m making all this money. I’m at work and these are just sad dudes sitting around drinking a beer lamenting the fact that they weren’t likeable enough to get married. Why should I be ashamed? Why aren’t we shaming these dudes?” Anna said that while customers “will never think you’re gay,” she’s met a number of lesbian strippers, or at least strippers “who are into women.” She prefers women customers, whether gay or straight, noting that they often tip better and are less likely to be disrespectful. While Keri acknowledged that some customers were distasteful, she also mentioned men who came in simply to talk – even one man who just asked her to hug him. “The thing that I found most interesting is that people would come there just for female attention and female accompaniment, if you could call it that,” Keri said. “As a lesbian, I get that – I get wanting a female, like, by your side. I don’t know, I can’t say that I hate the people that come in there.” It’s not the norm, she said, but it does happen.
TAKING OWNERSHIP
A fifth-year magazine journalism major, whose real name is Ashleigh Gray, works as a stripper at Atlantis Gentlemen’s Club in University City. She said she’s comfortable there and that there are “too many options” for her to settle for less. Her experience has been positive overall, she said, adding that she can’t recall a time she felt degraded while stripping. She said her parents, who support her financially by paying her tuition, both know about her stripping, although it’s not a subject often talked about. “It’s a total misconception that [all] strippers are sad,” Gray said. “My parents are married, my dad has always been in my life – sometimes my friends joke and say, ‘Why do you do this? This is for girls with daddy issues,’ but it’s just not that deep. It’s just money.” Keri and Anna said their parents don’t know they’ve worked as strip- Students who work as strippers said the significant amount of money they can make in a short period of time is pers. Anna said she believes it’s “none what drew them to the job. Some support themselves financially with the all-cash income. | ABI REIMOLD TTN of their business” and a boundary she wouldn’t cross as long as she is able makes goes toward her rent and main- ey and it just kind of sucks because I ten about her experience to magazines. to support herself. Keri said she once taining the lifestyle she wants, she said. know that I’m not stuck there,” Gray Though Gray said she’s encoun- said. “If I ever meet a customer that I DRAWING BOUNDARIES brought the idea of stripping up to her tered sexism from people who judge don’t like, I don’t have to entertain him. mother. Gray said she wishes people “Her reaction was, ‘You wouldn’t her choice to work as a stripper, the But [for] the other girls there, you can wouldn’t equate stripping to prostitudo that. Feminists don’t strip,’” Keri job has improved her body image. Any tell it’s really tense.” tion as often as they do, although she The only drug use she’s ever no- said she does know some strippers who said. Keri disagrees – it’s taking own- emotional stress or negative lifestyle ership of her own sexuality for her own choices as a result of the job are not ticed at Atlantis has been marijuana- engage in prostitution. something she said she can relate to, related, Gray said. She said she always benefit, she said. “Just because girls are dancers Gray left a retail job for stripping, though she notices it in some of her feels safe at work and draws writing doesn’t mean that they’re also prostiinspiration from the men she meets, tutes and selling their bodies for money she said, and will continue to dance for coworkers. “A lot of the girls have kids and calling her journalistic niche “relation- in that way,” Gray said. at least two more years while freelance Keri said she thinks it all depends writing. Right now, the money she stripping is their only means of mon- ships and sex and love.” She hopes to pitch some columns she’s already writ-
on where you work – Show & Tel was “notorious” for prostitution deals after work, she said, and remembered talk of a potential police raid there. She said she would argue girls there were making prostitution deals after their shift. Anna said she once witnessed another stripper giving a customer oral sex on the job at Show & Tel. “I had this guy pull out $2,000 in cash for me to touch his d---. Just touch it,” Anna said. “And I was like, I’m not doing that, no, that’s a boundary. It’s illegal [and] it cheapens you, in a way. If you want to be a prostitute, be a prostitute, but don’t add to the idea that all strippers will sleep with you if you give them money.” Anna said though most people assume otherwise, she’s never been with a man. The assumptions are frustrating, she said, though expected. “People will treat you like s---,” she said. “Most of the time, it’s not your friends, and if it was your friends, they didn’t need to be your friends anyway. A lot of the people that lived in my dorm [last year], like a lot of the girls especially – because women are taught to hate other women, you know, especially when it comes to terms of sexuality and stuff – a lot of the girls that didn’t know me at all kind of formed a large bias, like ‘Well, she has to be a whore. She has to be sleeping around.’ Some of my guy friends’ girlfriends would not let them hang out with me, and that’s really not f---ing cool.”
‘A BUSINESS TRANSACTION’
Anna said when people who find out she’s a stripper “talk down” to her, she reminds them that she won’t graduate with student loans. People are threatened by a woman making money using her sexuality, she said. Much like Gray called stripping “just money,” Anna said people should keep in mind “it’s a business transaction.” Keri said most people would be surprised by the diversity of strippers and that “more students than are willing to admit” work at strip clubs. She once met a stripper with a Ph.D. in children’s psychology who was a published author, just stripping because “she liked it.” “I know that when I meet people for the first time, it’s definitely not one of the first things that comes out of my mouth, ‘Oh hey, I was a stripper,’” Keri said. “[There is] definitely a stigma around it – an unnecessary one. I think that even if you are a full-blown sex worker and you are a woman, you’re sort of exploiting the patriarchy to your benefit. Why the f--- wouldn’t you be bringing home $200 [or more] a night?” Erin Edinger-Turoff can be reached at erin.edinger-turoff@temple.edu or on Twitter @erinJustineET.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FLOWER SHOW A COLORFUL EXPERIENCE
ALTERING FASHION
Columnist Brianna Spause visits the Philadelphia Flower Show hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society held March 1-9. PAGE 10
Temple alumna Sara Teixeira, a fashion designer, hopes to open her own store focusing in alteration after creating a dress that won the Philly Mag Fashion Project last fall. PAGE 14
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A Positive Spin
inquiries for small donations and positive energy from the audience. The artists performing the rendition said they believe their dance goes further than just spins and splits for commuters and city-dwellers – they’re trying to inspire people to turn every negative situation into a positive one. Under the direction of founder and dancer Damon Holley, otherwise known as “Dinksworth,” “Dink” and “Dink the Clown,” these acrobatic hip-hop dancers are part of Philly-based organization Project Positive. The group’s mission
Project Positive performs to inspire the youth of Philadelphia through dance.
I
EMILY ROLEN The Temple News
t starts with a somersault on the Broad Street Line. The forward flips progress into spins over the orange-colored seats on the subway and pop-and-locks all the way down to the streets of Philadelphia. The dance moves into
Styles: Through the sophomore slump family is essential Pro wrestler AJ Styles reminds fans that above all, family is more important than a career.
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y final spring break has passed without a tattoo from Cancun or an arrest warrant from Punta Cana. Instead of living those MTVinspired fantasies of youth, I worked four days John Corrigan at KYW Cheesesteaks and Chairshots N e w s R a dio and interned two days at the Daily News. I spent the rest of my vacation debating my mother about which relatives to invite to graduation and estimating how much wiggle room should be allocated for my gown. Plenty, if the Waffle Taco has its way. It’s crunch time for seniors – just a few weeks left to scramble for stray credits, summer internships and maybe, by the grace of President Theobald, a job. We can’t dayload all week because making connections, building our portfolios and sacrificing good times with family and friends will hopefully lead to that dream position in our respective careers. But is it worth it?
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Dream pop band Blouse cleans up its sound on its second album, “Imperium.” The band is opening for Dum Dum Girls on March 23.| COURTESY TONJE THILESEN
is to use hip-hop to inspire and reach out to youth in the community. The idea sprouted from Holley’s desire to start his own school and give inner-city youth a safe outlet for dance. Project Positive originated as a group of street performers and eventually gained momentum. Now, the organization hosts hip-hop workshops, educational demonstrations, lectures, assemblies and theater shows with kids ranging from 6 to 20 years old. “Coming from Philadelphia and basically going to school in Philadelphia, I noticed a bad energy,” Holley said. “I always wanted to change that. Me and my friends got made fun of for dancing in the cafeteria in high school. We were always practicing, even in the cold and the snow we were practicing, always practicing. We just wanted to get better and to keep ourselves out of trouble.”
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Blouse keeps things fresh on its second record by sprucing up its sound. DAVID ZISSER The Temple News For whatever reason, the sophomore record is a musical landmine that many artists face with apprehension. Known as the dreaded “sophomore slump,” it’ll occasionally detonate in the form of a stinker of a Snoop Dogg record, as seen in the case of the unfocused and disappointing “Doggystyle” follow-up “Tha Doggfather,” and just as frequently, it’ll be skirted altogether, as it was with the excellent “Pinkerton,” the followup to Weezer’s “Blue Album,” a nerd-rock archetype. It’s yet to be determined where on the spectrum “Imperium,” the sophomore release of Portland-based band Blouse,
EMILY ROLEN TTN
which will be opening for Dum Dum Girls on March 23 at Johnny Brenda’s, lies. But it’s approached the landmine with a reckless abandon. The dream-pop trio’s selftitled debut effort, “Blouse,” was a shimmering dose of indie pop, rife with keyboard parts that fluctuated between glistening and ominous. But with its follow-up “Imperium,” the fluttering synth lines that were so prominent on “Blouse” are conspicuously absent. “Jake [Portrait], the producer, when we sat down to talk about the record – I think part of the motivation was he wanted to start touring with us and he wanted to play guitar,” said Charlie Hilton, the group’s frontwoman, guitarist and songwriter, with a laugh. “So he was like, ‘Let’s just make a guitar record.’” But on a more serious note, the group came to a decision to test its limitations.
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Wisconsinite finds love for cheese after move “Madame Fromage” has seen a growth in success after starting her blog in 2009. ALBERT HONG The Temple News By day, Tenaya Darlington is a writing professor at St. Joseph’s University. By night, she is better FOOD known as “Madame Fromage,” a cheese courtesan. “I like having this double life,” Darlington said. “I’m a professor by day, but I come back to Fishtown and I have a whole different life that’s separate from campus.” Madame Fromage is Darlington’s alter ego, which she uses for her
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blog, started in 2009, that focuses on everything cheese-related. Whether it’s about local cheese-tasting events or tips on how to talk to a “cheesemonger,” which she calls the people working behind the counter, the blog covers it. Darlington grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Philadelphia in 2005. The first year Darlington moved to Philadelphia, a neighbor introduced her to Di Bruno Brothers, a local gourmet food shop specializing in Italian products, where she would later go to sample its variety of cheeses. “I would go there when I felt homesick to buy Wisconsin cheeses,” Darlington said. “They had such an incredible selection from all over the world that I decided I was going to try to eat my way through the entire store.”
Despite cheese being one of Wisconsin’s largest exports, it wasn’t until Darlington’s move that she developed a fascination for the product, she said. “It never occurred to me that I would move to Philly from Wisconsin [and] get really interested in cheese here,” Darlington said. Eventually, Darlington became so interested in cheese that she started to write for Philly publications like Grid magazine, writing columns about the cheese of the month. Now, she writes a seasonal cheese column for the Inquirer. Last May, Darlington collaborated with Di Bruno Brothers in writing a book called, “House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes and Pairings,” where she went from “customer to collaborator,” she said.
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ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
Tenaya Darlington, also known as “Madame Fromage.” | COURTESY JASON VARNEY
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Splitting the DIY benefits
Artists collaborate on splits for more reasons than the obvious.
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hiladelphia is praised for its musical sense of community. The thing is, though, it’s not just here. Sure, we may do it the best, but something that is special to the punk and hardcore music scene is the community. One common outpouring of Jared Whalen this comes Concrete in the form Colored of shared Basements releases. Splits and compilations are staples of the local music community. There is a type of joy when you realize two bands you love team up for a release. It’s also a great way to discover music. For example, Philadelphia’s Kat Kat Records recently released a four-way split between Philadelphia-based bands Girl Scouts and Secret Plot to Destroy the Entire Universe nicely paired with southerners Loud? and Kilgore Trout, both bands I’ve never heard before. It’s a give and take – our scene, their scene. This relationship is both personal and business. Justin Lutz of Lancaster, Pa., emo band Reservoir has been part of more than a half-dozen splits and compilations. “In the punk/hardcore community, split records make a lot of sense for a few reasons,” Lutz said. “It can introduce the bands to new people from the other band's fan base, especially if the bands are in different genres.” It also makes sense economically. “From a purely financial, economic standpoint, splits carry a lot less risk because there are two bands paying for the release,” Lutz said. “The physical copies are also split between more parties and are distributed further and more quickly.” The decision-making behind pairing certain bands together comes from multiple sources. Sometimes it’s a record company pairing two labelmates. Other times, it’s friends coming up with the idea over
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drinks after a show. In the Philly scene, while some splits may be tactically orchestrated to reach the largest fan base, most come from an honest mutual enjoyment of each other’s work. “[Reservoir] tend to grow closer to bands we've done splits with by virtue of a) having to talk out all the details involved in releasing it and b) sharing the struggle, so to speak,” Lutz said. Sometimes, the pairing of bands is rarely symmetrical. While genres may play a role, it’s not in the way one may expect. Take a look back at the Kat Kat Records split I mentioned. Listen to all four bands and you’ll find variations of punk, emo and hardcore with varying degrees of heaviness. Take it step further. One of my favorite splits is “Never Come Undone” by La Dispute and Koji. Who would have thought mixing post-hardcore and acoustic folk would go so well together? That’s what makes it great. Substance over style. In the same way that musicians from various genres can come together at a show for a single purpose, they can come together to make a cohesive release. “I like to collaborate on splits with bands that don't share our immediate genre,” Lutz said. “It makes the release more interesting and helps expose each of our bands to people that might not have heard them otherwise.” It’s also about exposure. Now, I don’t mean exposure in the capitalist mindset of promoting a band to the largest number of people for the lowest price. Rather, exposure as in sharing the art that musicians pour their being into to people who otherwise would never hear it. I’m talking about reaching the largest audience of listeners possible while forming lasting connections along the way. Connections among bands. Connections among scenes. Even connections among different parts of the world. This growing community is something shining bright in the local music scene. And fortunately, Philly is front and center. Jared Whalen can be reached at jared.whalen@temple.edu.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
Jeanette Kelly looks at “Wish” by Shaffer Designs at the Philadelphia Flower Show on March 7. | BRIANNA SPAUSE TTN
‘Articulture’ is born at Philly Flower Show The Philadelphia Flower Show came to town March 1-9.
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rutal, stone-cold and downright miserable. In the final stretch of Philadelphia’s third-snowiest winter on record, I’ve never been more excited to wake up and smell the flowers. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society rang in the changing seasons and satisfied that need by hosting the 87th annual Philadelphia Flower Show from March 1-9. “ARTiculture,” 2014’s theme, transformed 10 acres of the Pennsylvania Convention Center into a living canvas. Blooming with floral displays, the theme infused the both art and horticulture, bringing both museums and floBrianna Spause ral designers together. Sealed behind a Caught in the Act heavy set of double doors was a wall of delicate fragrance, patiently waiting to hit anyone with the smell upon entry. After yielding to that sense-altering greeting, the entry garden lay straight ahead. Three gigantic frames suspended from the ceiling, containing a colorful arrangement that hung over dancing water fountains and a bed of daisies, creating the event’s main stage. The artist of honor in this piece was Alexander Calder. Sam Leheney, PHS chief of shows and events, worked with GMR Design to design the set in the likelihood of Calder’s work, with sculptures and paintings to sum up articulture as a whole immediately upon entering. Calder, a member of a historic Philadelphian family of artists, is a staple in the city’s artistic culture. The main stage, designed to melt the worlds of floral design and art together, recreated this Philadelphia tradition to help welcome articulture as a
breed of its own. Rachael Ray was set to do a live Qand-A session on March 7. As I stood with other guests packed together, I drew up a list of questions I might ask if I was chosen to speak with the Food Network star. This segment, however, didn’t turn out as expected. Instead of an audience Q-andA, 6ABC meteorologist Melissa Magee stood in front of the crowd, guiding Ray through the interview. It seems as though I was not the only one with the wrong impression as the crowd drastically began to thin. I seemed to have missed what Ray’s favorite color was as I followed the dispersing crowd in search of something more stimulating. It was then that a shine caught my eye, as if to whisper, “Come find me. I’m the coolest thing you’ll see all day.” I followed, only to discover the most cohesive piece the show had to offer. Sculptures of Marilyn Monroe and the iconic Times Square kiss, provided by Grounds for Sculpture, made up the ends of the dream-inspired exhibit. That original, eye-catching shine came from silver balloons morphed with fabric to form clouds. Dream catchers fell to the ground, holding a sharp contrast with red roses and crystals. Guests wrote down a wish or dream on a provided piece of paper and were then instructed to fold it into a paper airplane and launch the aspiration into this dream garden. The amount of detail was captivating, and I needed a picture. So I tried and tried, but the angle just wasn’t right. I leaned a little further, and when that didn’t work, I may have stepped onto the exhibit. The shot was perfect, but I never got it. A flat five seconds after taking a teensy step over the brick, I heard a voice. “Here, let me help you. Please don’t step on my artwork.” Terribly embarrassed, I turned around to find the artist, Michael Bruce, paying me a stern and intrigued smile. “I love what
you’re doing honey, but you see…” was about all I heard before a red-faced stream of apologies fell out of my mouth. And with a reassuring eyebrow raise he went on to disregard our little mishap to explain his work of art. “There’s a sense of real unreality to [the sculptures],” Bruce said. “Grounds for Sculpture is a fantasy garden, so I wanted to create a place where people could launch their wishes and dreams into the dream catchers.” “Honestly, when was the last time you folded a paper airplane? Look at her face, she’s having a ball,” Bruce said, motioning across the garden. I turned at the perfect moment, as an older woman released her plane into the air with an accompanying hop. She watched with joy painted on her face as her paperwhite dream spiraled downward and stuck into the grass a few inches from her feet. Satisfied, she turned and left, displaying the same grin. What I witnessed was different from the remainder of the show. The vertical gardens, handmade jewelry and plethora of other art-inspired creations were each unique, and some quite honestly breathtaking. Bruce’s piece, however, came full circle as paper airplanes stuck into the dream catcher in this popular exhibit. So obviously, I found my favorite display. For volunteer organizer Harriet Rathmill, however, the most enjoyment was found in the way this year’s theme presented a whole new genre for seasoned Flower Show attendees and new friends alike. “Articulture breaks the mold for our Flower Show,” Rathmill said. “It’s more interpretive than ever before. The floral designers are interpreting works of art – some literally, and some use their imagination – but they bring forth these amazing pieces of art.” Brianna Spause can be reached at brianna.spause@temple.edu.
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Subway performers work for positive energy Holley moved to Philadelphia when he was 14 years old and was immediately influenced by his cousin Kerry Foster and his dance group, KRS Entertainment. Holley danced with KRS all through high school and met Brandon Albright after graduation. Albright would eventually be the inspiration behind Project Positive. Holley met Albright and his dance group, Illstyle & Peace Productions, at “The Gathering,” Philly’s longest-running hip-hop event, which happens every last Thursday of the month. Albright, better known as “Peace,” or People Everywhere Are Created Equal, spotted Holley and his friend “Liquid” and wanted their talent in his group. “We’re sitting there looking at him like, ‘Yeah, right,’” Holley said. “He looked real shabby and like he could never have his own school. But looks can be deceiving – never judge a book by its cover. We toured with them for 10 years after that.” Last April, Holley took a step back from Illstyle and focused his energy on Project Positive. His experiences there and the influence of Albright inspired him to break out onhis own. That was when Holley started holding hip-hop workshops and funding Project Positive with the money he and other Illstyle dancers made while street-performing. The people he performs with are students and apprentices of Holley, as well as dancers with Illstyle, and many are now teaching with him at the workshops. “A lot of my guys come out whether they’re getting paid or not,” Holley said. “For some of them, dance is all they do. I’m always coming up with creative ways to try and help the guys
get paid. Different shows, gigs, anything. It’s all about communication.” Antiwne Freeman has been dancing with Project Positive for about two years, both on trains and at workshops. “It’s not just a dance crew, it’s a movement,” Freeman said. “I’m not just out there dancing for money, I’m trying to inspire people.” As mainly a musician, Freeman said he never really learned to dance – he just did it. Now, as a member of Project Positive, he said he gets stopped on the street all the time because of their street performances. “It’s not like I’m a celebrity making a million dollars,” Free-
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man said. “I’m just a neighborhood guy trying to follow his dreams and make a living.” As far as his favorite dance move, Freeman said that without a doubt, the full split is his best. “It always attracts the ladies,” Freeman said. “Most guys wouldn’t think that a split is actually dancing, but it is.” Holley said the group is expanding their talent as its workshops gain popularity. “We’ve been trying to find people who hold morals and integrity,” Holley said. “That is the main reason we created Project Positive – to help people tap into their positive side through whatever they do.” Since expanding, the
group now hosts workshops two nights a week at the Sayre Morris and Shepard recreation centers. With time, Holley said he hopes to temporarily rent another space and someday have his own permanent school. “Wow, this is crazy,” he said, counting the number of kids on the roster for their Feb. 25 workshop. “I’ve never had this many kids. This is the most I’ve ever had here on a Tuesday.” Charlton Lane, a 31-yearold Philly police officer and parent of a Project Positive workshop dancer, said he supports anything that betters the community, especially its youth. Lane has been familiar with Project Positive for about a year
and said he is confident in its ability to help shape the futures of the kids that participate in the workshops and performances. “It helps kids build themselves and their character,” Lane said. “It could open a number of doors to something else, and if this is what they feel in their soul, the door is open. And you’re not singled out here, even if you can’t dance. There’s no color to it.” Especially for boys, both Lane and Holley said there are not many afterschool programs for dance in the city. “For an inner-city kid, this is a little piece of heaven,” Lane said. “On a Tuesday night, this may be all they have.” The ideology of Project
Positive goes back to Holley’s desire to exude positive energy. He said he believes there is a positive light in everyone, and dance is one way to tap into that. “I don’t think the measure of what you do is how much money you’re making or how many shows you’re doing,” Holley said. “I think it’s measured by your hard times and how you come out through them. That’s what makes you. You are always going to continue to go through struggle, and it’s about who has your back when you’re struggling. Positive always outshines negative.” Emily Rolen can be reached at emily.rolen@temple.edu.
Members of Project Positive, a program created to inspire children through hip-hop, practice a performance during a workshop. | EMILY ROLEN TTN
MUSIC
Blouse’s newest release BLOUSE PAGE 9
“I think we just felt like we should try something different because we really felt strongly about the first record,” Hilton said. “We really liked it, we were so desperately in love with it and didn’t want to sit down and try to compete with it or follow that same formula.” Hilton and company said they are incredibly pleased with the finished product of “Imperium.” Utilizing dreary guitars – that at times sound inspired by a The Animals-esque southern morose, and breathy, ethereal vocals – in lieu of keyboards or drum pads, the three-piece crafted a followup that stands firmly apart from its predecessor. Certain tracks also utilize auxiliary instrumentation, including the use of a cello on its song “1,000 Years.” But the reaction among Blouse diehards has been mixed so far. “I found that the reception inperson, playing shows, seems to be really good,” Hilton said. “[But] some people are more interested in the electronic stuff we did on our first record, which we completely anticipated. I don’t blame them at all. So it’s interesting seeing that play out.” Strangely enough, this scenario seems to play out with frequency at Blouse shows. “Especially at the merch table,” Hilton said. “People will come up and will be like, ‘I want that one,’ and point at [the first] record, which is almost like they’re giving a compliment, like, ‘I don’t like the second one as much,’ but it’s sweet. I actually didn’t realize how dedicated people were to the first record. But with that said, I think that the record we made, I’m still super in love with it regardless of how it’s being received.” Hilton, on both “Blouse” and “Imperium,” sings with a cold, icy aloofness. Layered on top of the jangly guitars and somewhat lethargic tempos, her vocals can feel distant, although they fit the music to a key. However, Hilton said that
despite the delivery, the lyrics she writes are tremendously personal. “I can’t really write a song unless it’s something close to me,” Hilton said. “I don’t specifically write about things I’m not personally experiencing. They’re pretty specific to my thoughts and experiences.” Along with future tour-mates Dum Dum Girls, Yuck and a litany of others, Blouse is a member of a burgeoning class of contemporary dream-pop bands. And although the genre peaked in the mid-‘90s, it appears to be seeing somewhat of a renaissance. “It’s not precise,” Hilton said, of the genre. “And something about that is nice. It’s just something that’s kind of loose with a lot of energy. That’s a nice contrast too, and kind of reflects what modern life is.” In Latin, “imperium” is a phrase that roughly translates to “power to command.” The brute title is a strange contrast to the femme-fronted tunes that Blouse is famous for. But for an album that’s artwork depicts a Roman statue with a severed head, it saw the band flip its script 180 degrees and the contrast seems strangely fitting. “It’s nice that ‘Imperium’ is kind of destroyed – we didn’t want people to think that ‘Imperium’ as a title as a motif of the record, as this all-conquering, harsh thing,” Hilton said. “We weren’t trying to draw a parallel between us and that word. It was more of just an analysis of this thing, of power and deconstructing it and kind of making fun of it. It just seemed like a really beautiful thing. And then my friend, who is a professor, told me that it was a metaphor for pure thought, which I really liked. Just the head coming off of the body. Just seeing something like that is kind of beautiful.”
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12 JUICY J, TRAVI$ SCOTT, PROJECT PAT TLA DOORS AT 6 PM, SHOW AT 7 PM $41.50 ALL AGES The suave, trippy-stayin’ Juicy J has increased his stock quite `a bit as of late. Following a collab with the sultry Katy Perry on “Dark Horse,” the Three 6 Mafia standout participated in a spooky, cultish performance of the track at the Grammys. His latest endeavor, the titled “Never Sober” tour, will be stumbling through the TLA.
FRIDAY, MARCH 14 ELLIE GOULDING LIACOURAS CENTER 8:00 PM $39.50 IN ADVANCE, $45 AT THE DOOR ALL AGES
Although she’s still riding the wave of the wildly successful “Halcyon Days,” a 2012 full-length that cites influences running the gamut from Björk to Kanye West, Ellie Goulding isn’t slowing down a bit. To keep the momentum going, she’s locked up a US tour as well as bookings on a litany of festivals. The British songstress has sold out just about every stop of her current tour, so don’t take this opportunity to see her in your David Zisser can be reached at own backyard for granted. zisserd@temple.edu.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
Cheese blogger FROMAGE PAGE 9 “I feel like they represent the kind of food business that really creates community,” Darlington said. “They educate their community about what they love and they build passion around [its] products.” Now, Darlington has dedicated her blog, “Madame Fromage,” to educating others on the intricacies of cheese. And though she had an initial admiration for the food, she said she had to take time to learn the technicalities, which she described as “poetic.” “One of the things that got me excited about cheese is the interesting vocabulary around cheese,” Darlington said. “It’s kind of like wine or beer, there’s a whole lexicon around this product.” Since creating the blog, Darlington has gotten in touch with cheese-makers from around the world, which has connected her with numerous cheese-makers and fellow bloggers in the city. Darlington said she intends on bringing people together to spread the word about the food that can come out of collaborations between local cheese-makers and chefs. On March 4, Darlington and Chef Eli Kulp worked together at High Street on Market Restaurant for their second cheese dinner, featuring Meadowset Farm & Apiary’s raw sheep’s milk cheese. Darlington brings local cheese-makers, and Kulp cooks food using the cheese for a threecourse dinner for $25. Taking place every first Tuesday of each month, the next High Street cheese dinner will be on April 1, featuring Cherry Grove Farm and its selection of cheeses. “It’s the service I can provide in this life,” Darlington said. “I feel like it serves a community that needs each other.” Yellow Juice Bar, at 2046 Sansom St., is owned by Barry Vernick, a Temple alum. Employee Fen Ge pours a fruit and veggie blend smoothie. In addition to blended drinks, the shop offers a frozen “banana twirl” dessert, served with chocolate chips. | JENELLE JANCI TTN
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Albert Hong can be reached at albert.hong@temple.edu.
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Family is what’s important to AJ Styles STYLES PAGE 9
I considered myself a proud workaholic until I spoke with AJ Styles, the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. He earned that distinction by leaving Total Nonstop Action Wrestling due to failed contract negotiations. After 12 years of performing for the company in which he undoubtedly served as the cornerstone, Styles walked away from national primetime exposure on Spike TV to navigate the uncertainty of the independent scene. Sure, he’s been welcomed back to Ring of Honor, an organization with Philly roots where he competed from 2002 to 2006, but it’s not like the “Phenomenal One” will be receiving the mainstream attention associated with appearing for World Wrestling Entertainment. Probably because he already turned down WWE. Yes, you read that correctly. Styles declined a WWE developmental contract for $500 a week to work for the Heartland Wrestling Association, a farm system in Cincinnati, in 2002. As a college student salivating over minimum wage just to get my name in the Daily News, I can’t understand why a young grappler would pass up the chance to work for the No. 1 pro wrestling company in the world. “My wife was in college and I couldn’t go to Ohio and make her move back in with her mother,” Styles said. “That would have been terrible.
She even told me to take the deal and run with the opportunity, but I couldn’t do that to her. It’s God first and family second.” Certainly not a disciple of McMahonism, perhaps Styles’ decision was influenced by never being consumed by sports entertainment, even as a kid. “I was a wrestling fan, but I wasn’t a fanatic like some of these guys,” Styles said. “I was poor, so I only watched if the antenna picked it up. I remember watching Georgia Championship Wrestling and the Road Warriors, but when I got older, I really jumped on New Japan, All Japan and any matches involving the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.” In a profession where simulated violence is the product, it must be challenging at times for Styles to place God first. “I think it’s a challenge no matter where you are,” Styles said. “We’re always being attacked by some type of evil. I do try to be a follower of Christ and be a good example for others, but I’m not perfect.” Praying for guidance in his decisions to reject WWE and depart TNA, Styles said he believes “2014 will be a wonderful year” with his new opportunities. “There’s something unnerving about being a free agent and not being tied down,” Styles said. “You got to sell your own T-shirts at shows and put all that money in your pocket, when before in
TNA, it didn’t seem like I made enough merchandise money. But the most important thing for me is making all of the fans’ dream matches finally come true.” He is an amazing athlete and always friendly to his fans, but the most phenomenal thing about Styles is his love for his family. Even though we seniors are focused on doing whatever it takes to make us successful, we need to be reminded that the world doesn’t revolve around our post-graduation plans. Take time to inquire about your significant other’s classes or play “Super Smash Bros.” with your roommate, or even let mom invite Aunt Jeannie to graduation. These are the people who shared your college experience, and in some way, shaped who you have become. And more than likely, they’ll be there for you whether you land that cherished gig or end up bawling over the keyboard during your daily Craigslist search. Now that I’m a recovering workaholic, you can find me at the Draught Horse hoping to bump into a fellow wrasslin’ fan. Let’s savor the last few weeks of the “best four years of our lives.” John Corrigan can be reached at john.corrigan@temple.edu.
FASHION
Local designer alters fashion scene Sara Teixeira plans to open a store for alterations and design. CAITLIN O’CONNELL The Temple News Sara Teixeira used to be fascinated with her seamstress mother’s sewing machine and sketches. The gentle lines creating flows of fabric and the way the needle bobbed up and down danced around her. She took after her mother, making a hobby of sewing in her childhood and teenage years that she later developed into a career. Teixeira, a 2009 Temple alumna with a bachelor of business administration in entrepreneurship, is now a local fashion designer and tailor working for high-end fashion clothing store Hugo Boss, with hopes of owning her own store within the city in the coming months. But for now, along with her day job, she’s been managing her own set of clients through her website, TheTailory.com. During her childhood, Teixeira said she enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together, foreshadowing her career. She said she enjoys the construction of fashion, which she described as architectural. Teixeira said she believes fashion and designing was always in her future. “It’s just one of those things where you know,” Teixeira said. The designer earned a master of science in fashion/apparel design from Drexel, and it was during her time there that Teixeira participated in Philadelphia’s magazine’s “Fashion Project” in 2013, a city-wide competition to discover and celebrate local fashion designers. The contest chooses eight designers to work with the magazine’s editors, as well as stylists and mentors to create a design. Being of Portuguese heritage, Teixeira learned about the contest
through the Philadelphia Portuguese Heritage Commission that works for cultural awareness in the community. Teixeira was part of a fashion show the commission put on, showcasing a handbag collection she designed. An organizer from the commission told Teixeira about the contest and she submitted her designs on the last day, not thinking she would have time for it as she was working on her thesis. Teixeira ended up being selected and later winning through an online voting process after her design, along with the other contestants’ work, was featured in the magazine. Teixeira’s final piece won her $1,000 and a window display at Knit Wit on Chestnut Street. “It just kind of happened,” Teixeira said. “It was fun, but the thing that excites me the most about it is that I really didn’t think I was going to have the time to do it, I didn’t expect it.” It was while working on her thesis that Teixeira discovered her interest in wedding gown designing. “It was the most challenging thing I had ever accomplished, and it’s something that people are always fascinated to see,” Teixeira said. That same bridal collection has been featured in store windows and magazines, as well as various fashion photo shoots. “It’s been a blast,” Teixeira said. “It’s been kind of non-ending.” Teixeira said she enjoys designing wedding dresses, but loves custom work for bridal more than anything else. “You can really get into it and really perfect something, it’s kind of like artistic expression in a way,” she said. While she said she realizes the design and vision comes from the client, she enjoys perfecting the creation and giving the final piece that couture-house look. Teixeira credits her time in business school with making her understand that design is not just art. Realizing she needed a way to start her
TRENDING IN PHILLY
What people are talking about in Philly – from news and store openings, to music events and restaurant opening. For breaking news and daily updates, follow The Temple News on Twitter @TheTempleNews.
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
OUT & ABOUT NEW EXHIBIT AT BARNES The Barnes Foundation will open a new exhibition, “Yinka Shonibare MBE: Magic Ladders,” by a British artist, Yinka Shonibare. As an artist that plays with deconstruction and perspective, Shonibare uses life-sized mannequins to critique and challenge establishment in art in his newest installment. The exhibition is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is closed on Tuesdays. The exhibit runs until April 21. -Emily Rolen
A MONTH OF FOOD SPECIALS March is Restaurant Month in Chestnut Hill, so customers who haven’t had enough of the food deals from the past Center City District and East Passyunk Avenue Restaurant Weeks have an entire month to enjoy what the places in Chestnut Hill have to offer. From now until March 31, Sundays through Thursdays, restaurants such as Chestnut Grill & Sidewalk Café and Mica will be participating in $15 lunch and $25 dinner specials. -Albert Hong
LEARN TO DANCE
Free flamenco master classes are being held at The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and at Drexel University in the 418 dance studio from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday with flamenco expert Pastora Galván. The classes are part the 2014 Philadelphia Flamenco Festival that started in February. -Emily Rolen
FOOD CART HALTS The husband and wife team Chef Benjamin Miller and Cristina Martinez, who operate their food cart at 8th and Watkins streets on Sunday mornings, have halted operations on establishing their South Philly Barbacoa restaurant at Isaiah Zagar’s warehouse located on Watkins Street. According to Passyunk Post, Miller gave a presentation early January to the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association’s zoning committee on opening their own restaurant in the space but “met considerable resistance from the neighborhood about a restaurant opening there.” Miller and Martinez are still looking for a suitable location, but for now they will continue to serve their popular slow-cooked lamb and pancita steamed in maguey leaves in their food cart. Customers can find them outside Las Rosas Bakery in South Philly Sundays from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. -Albert Hong
Sara Teixeira alters a gown. | COURTESY SARA TEIXEIRA own business beyond design, Teixeira began doing alterations and plans to use that as her starting point. Although Teixeira is focusing on bridal alterations, she does menswear as well. Teixeira said her ultimate goal is to take her future location into the made-to-measure type of direction, beginning with her alterations business. Teixeira said she plans to have a collection within the location that customers can choose from, and she can later design and alter for them. She said she believes there is a need for this type of alterations business. “There aren’t many places you can go and feel comfortable,” Teix-
eira said. “There is no specific place you can go where you feel like you can trust the person making the alterations.” Beyond designing and alterations, Teixeira said she enjoys meeting people and getting to know them, ultimately hoping that her store can become a reliable place for customers to have their visions brought to life. “This whole process has been about taking chances and good things coming out of it, that’s why I keep going,” Teixeira said.
PHILLY MEASURES UP IN INTELLIGENCE @KYWNewsradio tweeted on March 7 that Philadelphia is the ninth smartest city in the country, according to a report by Credit Donkey. The report took in the number of college graduates, the amount of Mensa chapters, library card owners and property crimes into consideration.
Caitlin O’Connell can be reached at caitlin.oconnell@temple.edu.
The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania is hosting “Celtic Nights: A Night of Music, Song and Dance at the Zellerbach Theatre” on Saturday at 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary, but the lowest priced seating is $20. The performance explores Celtic heritage with some of Ireland’s renowned musicians, singers and step dancers. -Kerri Ann Raimo
LIBRARY GETS A BOOST @PhillyInquirer tweeted on March 7 that Mayor Nutter proposed a $2.5 million boost for the Free Library of Philadelphia’s budget that would allow the organization to rehire 43 employees and allow branches of the library to reopen to six days a week.
‘IRISH NIGHT’ AT THE PHILADELPHIA UNION
STRIKE UNLIKELY FOR SEPTA
@uwishunu tweeted on March 7 that the Philadelphia Union will kick off it's fifth season with “Irish Night” at its opening home game on March 15. The match will see the Union up against the New England Revolution. Tickets can be purchased online.
@KYWNewsradio tweeted on March 7 that, when Septa's contract with the Transport Workers Union Local 234 expires next week, it is unlikely the workers will go on strike. Contract negotiations have ongoing for the past two months and SEPTA hopes to avoid any disruptions. Local 234 represents more than 5,000 workers.
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
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Professor uses dual-citizenship to teach about Ukraine conflict UKRAINE PAGE 1 of World War II. When he was 4 years old, his family moved to America after they were unable to return to Ukraine. “[My parents] provided well enough for us to succeed in the states, but also left us with a sense of identification with the ethnic culture that we came from,” Cybriwsky said. Cybriwsky said both this sense of identification and the stirring political and social conflicts in Kiev are what pushed him to study the city. He’s writing a book on the city’s social and political transformation. In his teaching at Temple, Cybriwsky said he hopes to inform students and staff of events in Kiev. “I feel myself to be an educator,” Cybriwsky said. “If I’m in a privileged position to know something, I’m happy to share.” Cybriwsky recently held a lecture on violence in Ukraine as part of Professor Ralph Young’s Dissent in America teach-ins. About 40 students attended the two-hour lecture, which featured visual aids like maps and photographs, many of which Cybriwsky said he took during his travels. Throughout the lecture, he mentioned that he knows several of Ukraine’s social and political figures. Several students asked questions about Cybriwsky’s personal experiences in the tumultuous city. Cybriwsky said students and staff frequently approach him with questions about Ukraine. He said he noticed although students usually have little knowledge of Ukraine, they often say they are frequently confronted with images of Kiev’s
riots through the media. “It’s a subject that’s in the news now,” Cybriwsky said. “But when it wasn’t in the news, which was most of the time, no one is aware. And that’s what Ukrainians say – now, at least the world knows Ukraine.” Junior Andrew Sandefur said Cybriwsky is his news source for current events in Kiev. The media studies and production major took a Global Cities course with him last semester. Sandefur said he hadn’t heard of Kiev until Cybriwsky spent a day lecturing on the city during class. “He definitely went very in depth with it, more than he had the other cities,” Sandefur said. “So I know that it’s a city that’s very dear to him because he’s writing a book about it, and in this class he has mentioned it several times. When the uprisings in Kiev were happening, he told us in class, ‘My mind is somewhere else today, so I apologize if I seem not fully here.’” Cybriwsky said studying Kiev is sometimes tiring because of his connection to Ukraine, but he tries not to let it impact his teaching. “I’m just exhausted from what goes on there,” Cybriwsky said. “If it’s not in the description, it wouldn’t be right, and I’m aware of that boundary. Of course, with anything with a political flavor, not everybody is going to agree with how I view the world. And so, to a certain extent, you need to stay away from topics where you have emotional attachment, because you realize not everyone is going to agree with you.”
Roman Cybriwsky (middle) teaches about the conflict in Ukraine with his perspective as a dual citizen. | CLAIRE SASKO TTN Sandefur said he has enjoyed listening to Cybriwsky. “It’s very eye-opening and a lot of times unexpected,” Sandefur said of his lecturing. “We get a deep insight of what he’s seen.” Cybriwsky has been to many cities because he frequently travels as an urban geographer. He said his passion is becoming acquainted with unfamiliar territories like Roppongi in Tokyo. Until recently, Cybriwsky’s urban studies have primarily focused on Asia, but he said Ukraine has always occupied a space in his mind. “In this stage of my career, I decided that I wanted to actually go back to this part of the world because I didn’t actually know it,” Cybriwsky said. “I’m perfectly aware that the travails of Ukraine are not necessarily the worst in the world. In fact, there are many places we know where the bloodbath is greater and the suffering longer. And it sometimes makes me feel guilty to say, ‘Well, I’m studying this and not that.’” He said as a professor, he
Look for our bar guide next week! We will provide you with your new bar-hopping schedule with this year’s mix of up-andcoming bars. Tired of your usual bar? Read our special issue on tuesday March 18th and you might even find your new favorite spot.
Always remember to drink responsibly
feels it’s his obligation to leave students with a better understanding of the world and be as accurate as possible in the subject matter of his specialization.
“You can’t be everywhere, you have to pick and choose – and it is natural to be drawn to a topic that is presented in front of you,” Cybriwsky said. “I’ve
been taught to be aware of this topic. It is a part of my life.” Claire Sasko can be reached at claire.sasko@temple.edu.
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Tyler graduate brings art into lives of seniors art into the lives of residents at the United Zion Retirement Community in her hometown of Lancaster, Pa. “I had never [personally] worked with elderly people before this,” Wojcik said. “I just happened to really love it, and from there I knew I wanted to work with the elderly.” Wojcik continued to work at United Zion while pursuing her undergraduate degree, but it was not until after graduation that she was chosen for a position helping to lead arts and crafts activities. “I actually feel like an art teacher,” Wojcik said. “I like how United Zion is such a small care center. I would much rather work at a community level, do-
ing small projects.” Since taking on the position a year ago, Wojcik said she has encouraged the seniors to step out of their comfort zones to add variety and excitement to their everyday lives. “It’s a really great thing and a really surprising thing,” Wojcik said. “Some of [the residents] were really scared at first, to get messy and things like that.” Wojcik said she tries to get as many residents involved as possible, aided by the fact that many of them already showed an interest in art. The more reluctant residents were her biggest initial challenge, she said. “I have one resident who I’ve always felt bad about be-
WOJCIK PAGE 7
cause she says she can’t really understand me – I talk pretty fast,” Wojcik said. “[The resident] always said she couldn’t do this, she couldn’t do that, until one day she came up to me practically in tears with a stack of coloring pages she did, and this woman is maybe 99 years old. She’s 99 and starting a new hobby.” Many of the seniors at United Zion are unable to verbally communicate because they live with dementia or various other conditions. Wojcik said it makes her feel particularly glad to know these residents now have a way to express themselves without speaking. “There is such a wide range of abilities,” Wojcik said.
“When I get everyone together in a group, they really help each other out, and that gives them all a good feeling, too.” In addition to helping one another and sharing their work among the residents, United Zion also has a public gallery which displays the artistic talents of the seniors. Wojcik said she’s had a significant role in expanding the efforts of the gallery to add positivity to the senior center. “[United Zion] had the gallery before I took the position, but what I’ve done is just push it a lot further,” Wojcik said. “I’ve typed up explanations for each work and put nametags with it. I’ve also done a lot of promotional work.”
Wojcik said the gallery has received attention from people in the community who come in to support the residents and to see the work of local artists, an idea she said she has continuously pushed for. She also said the Lancaster community has been influenced by the gallery and the people seem more openminded, in her opinion, in their taste in artwork. “My purpose for taking over the gallery is not only to help some of the artists I know get some notoriety, but it’s an easy way to get your art out there,” Wojcik said. “I have emailed schools and pretty much every art collective in the area. Sometimes we get single artists and sometimes we get
groups. A lot of people have also gotten shows after having their work at the gallery.” Wojcik said the most important thing to her is being able to make a difference at United Zion and using her love for art to do so. “A lot of [the seniors] get depressed because they feel like they can’t make things anymore, so it’s that feeling of pride and accomplishment,” Wojcik said. “This is a way I am working with people hands-on. I know exactly why I’m here and I have a purpose. I just feel so lucky I get to use art in my career.” Alexa Bricker can be reached at alexa.bricker@temple.edu.
Obama should recognize importance of liberal arts OBAMA PAGE 7
eral arts majors he nonchalantly snubbed with his comment. At Temple, 5,512 students in the Class of 2013 pursued liberal arts degrees and another 10,302 students studied outside of the science, technology, engineering or math fields. To his credit, the president did apologize to these 15,814 future teachers, dancers, lawyers, sociologists or writers. He humbly offered that art history – and liberal arts by association – was a favorite subject of his in high school. However, the liberal arts majors of the world know that actions speak louder than words. One of Obama’s first actions as president was to increase funding for Science Technology Engineering and Math education, giving $3 billion to the STEM fields as a part of his “Educate to Innovate” initiative. The initiative is part of a broader mission to raise a generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians to resuscitate America’s economy. “I personally applaud the president’s response to national corporations, defense contractors and even public interest agencies who need to hire from our population,” said Jamie Bracey, direc-
tor of STEM Education, Outreach and Research at Temple. “Less than 10 percent of America’s workforce is qualified in STEM-related fields, but they generate nearly half the nation’s wealth.” Though the economy demands a densely populated proletariat of STEM specialists, there is no definitive research that job security is better for a STEM major than for a liberal arts major. In fact, the American Association of Colleges and Universities released data that among workers in top-earning years, liberal arts majors make $2,000 more than STEM majors. While STEM is “in” right now, liberal arts shouldn’t be “out.” Obama should make it his mission to recognize each major’s unique merit, even in passing moments of his speeches. “Everybody wants their kids to become an engineer or doctor so that they can cure cancer or build prosthetic limbs, regardless of what their children may or may not want to do,” freshman music major Thomas Braun said. “It’s the reason why the Obama Administration has pumped so much funding into those programs.” The president is not the only one making unnecessary comparisons of the success rates of
vastly differing majors. Temple’s own emphasis on STEM can make being a liberal arts major a difficult task. The new Science Education and Research Center is slowly eclipsing Gladfelter and Anderson halls as construction teams make progress this academic year. There is no equivalent program to the successful and fantastic STEM program that aims to matriculate promising high school students into higher education within those STEM majors. “I do not believe there is equal importance in each major [at Temple],” Braun said. “Boyer [College of Music and Dance] attracts people to Temple, but our facilities do not. Our practice rooms are not plentiful enough. The temperature in the building makes it uncomfortable to be in. You would think you would put money where [many] students are.” STEM fields are important – they are responsible for creating the new iPhone or chemical compound found in acne cream or developments in medicine. But do these supposed fields of endless job opportunities and six-figure salaries mean non-STEM students should switch majors? Why are numbers and beakers chafing against treble
clefs and French dictionaries as students compare two different majors as if they were homogenous? “I resist any attempt to segregate STEM from liberal arts,” Bracey said. “It’s not an issue of which college major is better.” Does Obama know this? Does the student body know this? Does society know this? In attempts to make money, have we become sycophants eager for the next most profitable trend? We shouldn’t be pressed to put aside our passions in pursuit of more cushioned salaries or in the name of advancing the country at large. “Music is what drives me,” Braun said. “It is my life and passion. There is a deep connection for me with music on an emotional level. It makes me happy. To me, I’d rather be happy and penniless than rich and burnt out or unhappy.” Temple’s students can play their own part in putting an end to major-shaming by staying true to their career aspirations. Whether he or she writes a book or a formula, they’re pursuing a passion, and that is what’s meaningful. Lora Strum can be reached at lora.strum@temple.edu.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
CLIPPINGS
AROUND CAMPUS FAILURE 101 WORKSHOP Temple Student Leadership is hosting a Failure 101 Workshop today from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Room 223 of the Student Center. The workshop focuses on examining “failure” from a different perspective by using it as a constructive learning experience. The purpose of the discussion is to encourage growth in personal leadership development. The event is open to all students and worth five Leadership Diamond Points. No registration is necessary. -Jessica Smith BABEL
Maisa Ojjeh and her husband (pictured) opened Station One, a new halal food truck on 13th Street. The couple ran a retail clothing store previously in an academic environment, which made them gravitate toward Main Campus as their new business location. | ERIC DAO TTN
FOOD TRUCK
New halal truck sets up shop on Main Campus Maisa Ojjeh and her husband opened a new truck, Station One. ARIANE PEPSIN The Temple News One of the reasons Maisa Ojjeh and her family decided to leave Syria for Philadelphia last year is because one of the largest Arab-American communities in Pennsylvania is located in the city. Ojjeh and her husband were partial owners of a restaurant in Syria before immigrating to the United States. On Feb. 10, they opened a halal food truck called Station One, located on 13th and Norris streets. Ojjeh said Philadelphia was a prime location to relocate because of familial ties and an idea for a new business venture. “We came from Syria because of the war, and I’ve always been good at cooking international-type foods, so we decided a food truck would be possible with the money
we had brought with us,” Ojjeh said. “I have three kids and we had our own business in Syria, so I wanted to do something private here as well. We didn’t want to work for anyone else.” She said her husband also ran his own retail clothing business while she got a bachelor of arts degree and taught science at an international school for English-speaking students. As someone who is used to being in an academic environment, Ojjeh said Temple felt like a natural choice for the truck’s location. “We found that it’s a spot with a lot of students and pedestrians of different backgrounds and nationalities,” Ojjeh said. “As far as I’ve noticed, whoever has tried our food has come back again, so that’s been something positive. I hope we do well here.” Although there are other food carts serving halal fare on Main Campus, Ojjeh said she believes it’s not about competition as much as it is about each truck owner achieving personal success. Since the truck is
about a month old, she said she has decided to keep the menu simple for the time being, but will eventually expand it. “There are a lot of students here who eat at a lot of different places,” Ojjeh said. “I don’t want to stay specialized with the dishes because I have a lot of things that I want to introduce. I know how to make good, sophisticated dishes that aren’t only Mediterranean or American.” The menu has three items: falafel, samosas and kabobs. Ojjeh said she feels the dishes are fairly priced. “They’re not cheap, but they’re not expensive,” Ojjeh said. “I hope that everyone sees that the prices are good for the quality of food and portion you’re getting. We’re not trying to benefit ourselves as much as we’re trying to gain a customer base.” Many students who eat at the other halal trucks on campus said that price is an important factor for food trucks, along with taste. Nicole Fassak, a senior risk management and insurance major,
said she depends on Main Campus halal trucks to give her an affordable, flavorful meal. “The food is different from any food I cook at home or get at other places,” Fassak said. “I like the different flavors of chicken and falafel. Usually each of their meals is only $4 or $5.” For newcomers to the truck, Ojjeh said she recommends the samosa, which is a pastry filled with beef and vegetables cooked in spices such as ginger and nutmeg. She said she believes the truck’s homemade dishes will become increasingly popular among students. “We’re putting all of our efforts into the food,” Ojjeh said. “It’s all things that we want to eat as well. We have the best ingredients – the best meats, vegetables, olive oils. We’re doing what we can, and we’re doing our best to deliver the best food, so we hope by doing that, [the business] is not going to be a wasted venture.” Ariane Pepsin can be reached at ariane.pepsin@temple.edu.
Student company sells fashion, donates fruit FRUIT PAGE 7
program visits James R. Lowell Elementary School in the Olney section of Philadelphia and Stetser Elementary School in Chester, Pa., twice a month, acting as a traveling farmers’ market that caters to low-income families. “[Rachel and Sarah Stanton] reached out to us and they wanted to find a way to help,” Philabundance Public Relations Manager Lindsay Bues said. “We set up tables and provide food to all of the children enrolled in those schools.” The fundraising efforts began in September with an appearance at Temple’s Welcome Week. The Stanton sisters saw their business endeavors produce tangible results on Feb. 24 when Fruistrology’s first donation of 300 meals was processed through Philabundance. As clothing sales increase, the sisters said they’d like Fruitstrology to make donations on a monthly basis.
In the Fox School of Business’ “Be Your Own Boss Bowl” in 2013, the Stanton sisters were finalists within the Top 3 of the competing business startups. The competition allowed young entrepreneurs to make connections with a mentor, draw out a business plan and pitch to a board of investors. “So often, young entrepreneurs want to create the next Facebook, Twitter or other tech company that can cost a ton of money before becoming profitable,” Rachel and Sarah Stanton’s mentor Craig Taflin said. “The ‘Temple Twins’ idea was such a great old-school idea that could be scaled easily without a huge investment.” Although they didn’t win the Be Your Own Boss Bowl, the sisters have found success in the early stages of managing Fruitstrology, which has been successful as a “business in a box,” Sarah Stanton said.
The Bell Tower and First Friday in Old City are tabling hotspots for the Stanton twins, who said it’s easy to pack up their supplies and move on after a night of sales. The business also incorporates an online platform. Merchandise can be purchased at FruitstrologyCo. com, and the twins utilize social media in an effort to brand their product line as an interactive network. “Our hope is to build little fruit communities,” Sarah Stanton said. “When you buy your ‘talkative grape’ shirt and you want to meet other ‘talkative grapes,’ you can see them all on the Instagram or Twitter hashtag ‘#talkativegrape,’ so maybe you’ll be more inclined to talk to that person. If you know what the shirt means, you know a little bit about that person wearing it. It’s a cool thing that translates online, as well as in person.” The new business owners plan
to continue their efforts with Fruitstrology after they graduate in May. “I have high expectations for the [Stanton sisters],” Taflin said. “Entrepreneurship is very risky and they both have the drive and determination to achieve great things.” The twins said they value their continued community involvement, which is what led them to start their business in the first place. “We would also like to continue working with the Uber Street Garden,” Sarah Stanton said. “With some of the profits from Fruitstrology, we’d like to put that into buying seeds for the garden and buying garden tools. We like to be directly involved and interacting directly with the children, so the bigger we get, the more we can do.” Brianna Spause can be reached at brianna.spause@temple.edu.
Temple’s poetry collective Babel is hosting a night of live poetry and music called “Babylon: Catharsis” on Saturday from 8-10 p.m. in Mitten Hall Great Court. It will feature acts like Matt the Violinist and a spotlight performance by Juliana Pache, along with live paintings, giveaways and spoken word. Tickets are $7 and can be bought at the door or from any member of Babel. The event is open to all.
-Jessica Smith
PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE The 33rd Annual School Psychology Conference will take place on Friday from 9-10:30 a.m in the Student Center Underground. M.K. Asante, a bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker, hip-hop artist and professor will host the event. Asante will discuss his critically acclaimed memoir, “Buck.” The event is open to all, but advanced reservations are required due to limited seating. Tickets are $10 with student ID and $20 for non-Temple students. -Jessica Smith
ARTIST TALK Hank Willis Thomas will lead a discussion today at Paley Library Lecture Hall from 2:304 p.m. Thomas is an internationally renowned artist with work featured at the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. His project “Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America” depicts a series of images appropriated from magazine advertisements marketed toward AfricanAmerican audiences. He digitally removed text and logos to expose how advertising reinforces generalizations about race and culture. His new work “Rebranded” develops a new set of images that compare contemporary ads with similar past examples. The event is free and open to all. -Jessica Smith
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
“What are your thoughts
on the timing of this year’s spring break?
”
“Far too early and not springy enough.”
ANDREW THAYER TTN ALEX KINTER
FRESHMAN | FILM
“I think the only other schools that had it that early were in northern states. I feel like Temple tries to make [its] students hate [it].”
EDDIE DONOHUE
SOPHOMORE | POLITICAL SCIENCE
“It was terrible. It should have been two weeks later. It should have been closer to midterms. Everyone I talked to hated it.”.
CHRISTINA MCCLOSKEY
SOPHOMORE | ARCHITECTURE
SPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
PAGE 19
SPORTS BRIEFS
Seven fencers qualify for NCAA championship NO. 7 FENCING TEAM WILL SEND SEVEN TO COMPETE IN OHIO Seven Owls participating at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championship qualified for the NCAA Championships March 20-23 in Columbus, Ohio. “It was a very strong tournament,” coach Nikki Franke said. “It was the Top 36 people in our region in each weapon…that was a very good showing for us. All of our girls made the quarterfinals.” The épée squad had a strong day, as the group had three qualifiers for the finals. Senior Chantal Montrose finished fifth, freshman Rachael Clark finished sixth and freshman Alexandra Keft finished ninth. “That was a great showing, especially because two of them are freshmen,” Franke said. “It was great experience for them and for them to be able to handle the kind of pressure that tournament has is really going to help them in the future.” Montrose, who received a first round bye, was a combined 9-1 in her second and third rounds of action. Clark, who also revived a first round bye, went a combined 8-2 in the second and third round. Junior Tiki Kastor and sophomore Petra Khan placed eighth and 12th, respectively, in sabre and both qualified for the finals. Senior Epiphany Georges placed 10th and Fatima Largaespada placed 11th in foil, which qualified both for the finals. The NCAA championship selections will be made on March 11. There is a maximum of two per weapon for each team that can qualify.
Wheeler
second team All-Conference honors. Additionally, Fitzgerald and Taylor Robinson were named to the All-Freshman Team. –Brien Edwards
FOOTBALL
PALMER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Rateska Brown (right) was named The American’s Sixth Player of the Year. |HUA ZONG TTN
named The American Freshman of the Week, while she also earned Big 5 weekly honor roll honors for the fourth time this year In two consecutive conference road games against Rutgers and Central Florida, Fitzgerald averaged 13.5 points per game, while shooting 8-for-10 from the free throw line. The freshman guard also tied FITZGERALD, THAMES, BROWN a team-high in points in the Owls’ regular season fiHONORED BY CONFERENCE nale against Houston, scoring 16. Rateska Brown was also honored by The AmeriOn March 4, freshman guard Feyonda Fitzgerald can, as she was named the conference’s Sixth Player earned weekly honors from the American Athletic of the Year. Conference and the Philadelphia Big 5. Fitzgerald and senior Natasha Thames earned For the fifth time this season, Fitzgerald was
“I don’t see any problem with staying focused the next week and a half,” Franke said. –Michael Guise
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
the roster. With no future college search to worry about, players like Robert Amaro, Daniel DraPAGE 22 gos and Derek Peterson have all them that they need to put that been among the team leaders stuff out of their mind and just on the stats sheet. Amaro, who focus on the game in hand that came to Temple this year after day, when they don’t have suc- transferring from Virginia, has cess on the field, they feel like driven in a team-high 11 runs they’re going to lose opportuni- through Saturday. ties to go play somewhere else,” Though the seniors may Wheeler said. feel less distracted than their One of the underclassmen younger peers, it doesn’t stop who has struggled to open the them from feeling for their season is sophomore outfielder teammates. Frank D’Agostino. Through Sat“I know it’s probaurday’s game, UP NEXT bly hard for them,” D ’ A g o s t i n o ’s Owls at Rider Amaro said of batting average March 11 at 3 p.m. the younger guys. is at .161, the “They’re showcaslowest on the team for anyone ing their abilities, hoping to get with more than 20 at-bats. something from another coach D’Agostino said he has from some other school. That’s heard from other schools, but probably always in the back of playing in this early part of the their mind.” season has been difficult for the “It’s probably not even that, Monroe Township, N.J., native. they’re just first-time players, “Coming out and play- first year playing college ball,” ing every day, you don’t know Amaro added. “So they’re nerwhen your next head coach is vous, and on top of it they have watching,” D’Agostino said. to find a place to play next year.” “You kind of try to do a little The difference in preparamore when you really shouldn’t tion and mental focus is somebe doing stuff like that.” thing Wheeler said he has taken The process has been the notice to between his upper and exact opposite for the seniors on
underclassmen. “For [the seniors], this was it, regardless of what happened,” Wheeler said. “The seniors seem to be more mentally locked in and not worried or dealing with the stuff that’s off the field. It’s the younger kids that maybe aren’t mature enough yet to handle this adversity. It’s a big wakeup call for them, they have to grow up and we just have to continue to keep battling and fighting through it.” Wheeler said he has been trying to get the message across to his younger players that they need to find a way to focus on getting better and putting all the distractions off the field for the time being. Easier said than done – but D’Agostino said they’re trying. “You just try not to think about it, honestly that’s the only thing you can probably do,” D’Agostino said. “It’s hard when you see other coaches around the field. You just really got to try not to think about it and just focus on what you got to do at the bat and in the field.” Jeff Neiburg can be reached at jeffrey.neiburg@temple.edu.
Former Owls running back Paul Palmer is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014. Palmer led the nation in rushing yards, allpurpose yards and rushing yards per game during his senior season in 1986. He set 23 school records, a number of which he still holds. Palmer is now serving as the radio color analyst for Temple football. –Avery Maehrer
TRACK & FIELD
BRITTON EXCELS AT ECACS
Margo Britton continued her breakout season last weekend at the ECAC championships, earning three points for the Owls with a personal best 17.91 meter throw and a sixth-place finish. The next day, Britton placed second in shot put. Junior Kiersten LaRoche placed third in the pentathlon on Friday, good for six points. Distance runners Anna Pavone and Jenna Dubrow placed 12th and 28th respectively in their events. –Avery Maehrer
Underclassmen give hope to future after losing year TOURNEY PAGE 22 can preseason poll and finished as the sixth-best team in the conference. But the team’s road to a sixth-place finish was filled with blown opportunities and domination by the top-heavy conference. Against the Top 4 teams in the conference – Connecticut, Louisville, USF and Rutgers – the Owls came up winless in all nine games, including the season-ending rout. Despite the lopsided record against the conference’s best teams, Cardoza said she believes the record does not tell the entire story of the Owls’ season. “I felt like we definitely competed,” Cardoza said. “We obviously didn’t know what to expect coming in, leaving the other conference. We’ve played against Rutgers every year and obviously UConn, but all the other teams coming into the conference – we really didn’t know what to expect. All season, no matter who we were playing against, I felt like we always gave ourselves a chance.” Against non-conference opponents Michigan State and Syracuse – two teams that have been ranked through the year or have received votes – the Owls
came within two possessions of upset victories in both games. When facing Philadelphia Big 5 teams, Temple earned a 1-3 record, but in two losses to Villanova and Penn, the final scores were determined as seconds expired in regulation. Overall, the season served as another year of maturation for Temple, showing the flashes from its promising underclassmen group that will be forced to replace the production of a senior class that provided valuable minutes all year long. Redshirt-senior forward Natasha Thames and fifth-year senior guard Shi-Heria Shipp will depart from Temple after their most successful collegiate seasons. Thames, a second team AllConference selection, averaged 10.5 points per game, and she finished her career with record for the most games played, and ranked sixth all-time in rebound for the program. Transferring after four years at George Washington, Shipp finished the year second in rebounds and steals, starting in 23 games. Despite a losing season, the lasting impressions of the Owls’
season will be the emergence of freshman guard Feyonda Fitzgerald as the team’s go-to scorer, and freshman center Taylor Robinson as the team’s much-needed replacement on the front line. Earning a unanimouslyvoted spot in The American AllFreshmen team and a place on the second team All-Conference list, Fitzgerald led the Owls offense with 12.6 points and four assists per game. Robinson was also named to the conference’s All-Freshmen team, averaging nearly five points and four rebounds per game. “I’m going to try to expand my game even more by getting in the gym more this year to prepare for next year and the two years after that,” Fitzgerald said. Leaning heavily on freshmen to produce from day one, the Owls were doomed to fall to inconsistencies and mistakes throughout the year, but the season could enable future stars to better cope with the difficulties of The American. Brien Edwards can be reached at brien.erick.edwards@temple.edu or on Twitter @BErick1123.
CHOOSE
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SUMMER at STOCKTON Three Sessions May 19 - June 30 (6 weeks) May 19 - July 28 (10 weeks) July 1 - Aug. 11 (6 weeks) Discounted tuition & housing, online & distance learning classes Classes available in Galloway, Hammonton, Manahawkin
stockton.edu/summer YO Bus Temple Ad.indd 1
2/18/14 3:06 PM
SPORTS
PAGE 20
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
Crew members row during an early-morning fall practice. The program was slated to be cut this July, but funding for a new boathouse reversed the university’s decision. | KARA MILSTEIN TTN
After reinstatement, legacy continues CREW PAGE 1 River has been the habitat that has produced world-class rowers like 1920 Olympian John B. Kelly, and more recently, 2012 Olympian Susan Francia. During that time, Temple made its mark on U.S. rowing history.
THE GENESIS
Often seen in his turtleneck sweater and cherry-colored blazer, former Olympic rower Thomas Curran started Temple’s crew program in 1966. With the nickname “Bear,” Curran was usually remembered for his toughness. “He was a scary guy,” said current crew coach Gavin White, who rowed under Curran for three years. Throughout Curran’s 11year reign as head coach, White said the crew program consisted mostly of novices, which prevented Temple from performing well. While Temple rarely raced competitively against the University of Pennsylvania, it was schools like La Salle and Drexel that were often fixtures in local regattas. But no one in the region was more dominant than St. Joseph’s University – which made a come-from-behind 1971 victory against the Hawks one of Temple’s most memorable, White said. In the 1960s and ‘70s, the Coast Guard Academy and the University of Massachusetts were just a few of the staples at the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest intercollegiate rowing event in the country. During the Curran era, however, Dad Vail wins eluded the Owls. The closest the Owls came to capturing a win was in 1973, but the team had to settle for second place after losing to Massachusetts. After serving as Curran’s assistant for three years, White took over the helm in 1978.
THE PROCESS
Monsignor Bonner High School, St. Joseph’s Prep High School and Holy Spirit High School were some of the premier rowing high schools in and around the Philadelphia area in the late 20th century. White visited them. “I gave speeches and presentations,” White said. “I told them what Temple was like and I got a lot of kids. They just wanted to stay home.” Now recruiting some of the top rowers in Philadelphia, the
Owls welcomed Teti in 1982 on the 1983 Dad Vail to “jazz the the coaching staff, who at the guys up.” “We painted Temple ‘T’ time was also training for the and all the guys’ nicknames all U.S. National team. As a result, the training got over the wall,” Teti said. “It was basically graffiti, but when intense. “Coach White was focused the guys came in the boathouse on your cardiovascular fitness [the next morning] they were all and training,” Tim Stinson, a pumped up.” “There was a sense in the recruit from Holy Spirit, said. “Mike Teti was a fantastic tech- boat that we were not going to lose again,” Sullivan said. “We nical coach.” “So the two of them work- just knew we were going to win, ing together really paid off but we also knew we had to well,” Joe Sullivan, a recruit push to make it happen.” On May from Bonner, 14, 1983, Temsaid. ple’s varsity During the eight won the 1980s, the Owls Dad Vail for the practiced in the first time in the basement of history of the Thomas Hall, program. now renovated “ G a v i n ’s and renamed face on the dock Shusterman Hall. was unbelievThe building able,” Tony Stehad one rowing machine. Each Gavin White / crew coach fanski said. “It was like he won student-athlete the Olympics.” would sign up “Other than the birth of my for 40-minute rowing slots in two children, winning the Dad the morning. “Mike taught us a different Vail was the best day of my way of applying force to the oar, life,” White said. to hang on the oar to make sure ‘DYNASTY’ you were getting as much force After winning the ’83 Dad out of the oar as possible and to Vail Regatta, the men’s varsity reduce mistakes,” Tim Stinson eight crew team competed in said. the Royal Henley Regatta, one In the afternoon, the of the world’s renowned regatOwls would head out to the tas later that summer. Schuylkill, whether on bikes or Among some of the comcars and “rowed for 12 miles.” petitors were Harvard, PrincAfter practice, the men would eton, Oxford, Cambridge and a run two or three miles. few clubs from Ireland. “I never asked those guys Temple did not bring the to do anything that I hadn’t done same varsity eight boat that myself,” Teti said. won the Dad Vail to compete
“Other than the
birth of my two children, winning the Dad Vail was the best day of my life.
”
A TASTE OF VICTORY
Spring 1983 was the last season of White’s first group of recruits. The varsity eight boat was comprised of recruits from local area high schools, which won the majority of the spring races that year. During the Dad Vail, Temple advanced through the heats and the quarterfinals just as it did the previous year. “It was harder in the semifinals as far as nervousness,” Sullivan said. “We were hoping that nothing happened during the race.” The Owls advanced to the finals, but they were not favored to win. After losing to the Florida Institute of Technology in the finals of the Dad Vail in 1982, White and Teti bought cherrycolored paint the night before
on the River Thames, however, as stroke man Charlie Bracken stayed in Philadelphia. The Owls did not make it out of the heats. Yet, after winning its first Dad Vail Regatta, Temple garnered attention, as Canadian rower Rob Silk became the first international recruit to join Temple’s crew program in the fall of 1983. “I like the fact that these guys were pretty hardcore, they were just Temple tough,” Silk said. During the 1985-86 season, White took a year off to return to his studies, but the Owls retained their winning ways with the U.S. National coach John Hooten at the helm, along with Teti. After winning three Dad Vail Regattas in a row and go-
ing as far as the finals of the land, Romania and Croatia. After White was diagnosed Royal Henley Regatta in 1984, “We were just a talented with Parkinson’s disease in the Owls were on a quest to win group of guys,” White said. 2002, the men’s varsity eight their fourth straight Dad Vail. “When the varsity would win, went on to win the Dad Vail in During this time, the cox- the JV would also win and we 2003 and 2004. For the next decade the swain, Sean Brennan, was bat- would win by a lot, like seven tling a brain tumor. After having or eight seconds, which is a lot crew team won numerous medsurgery, Brennan returned and in crew. Usually you would win als. The freshman four and men’s pair won the Intercollerowed with the team in 1986. by two seconds or so.” The night before the Dad “All that recruiting and all giate Rowing Association NaVail that year, White and Teti that work, it was tough,” White tional Championship in 2005 decided to bring back the cherry added. “Once our reputation got and 2007, respectively. Temple’s crew program paint again. known that we were UP NEXT “We painted beating teams, has sent six former rowers to Owls vs. Rutgers the number four I didn’t have to the Olympics, including Jason March 22 about a thousand recruit, people Read, who helped to row the times in the boatwould call me, U.S. men’s eight to a gold medhouse, all over the wall, four, ‘Hey coach, I hear that you are al victory in 2004 while setting four, four,” Teti said. “Then we looking for [rowers],’ and I am a world record in the process. got this big cherry-red sign with like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ So it was like A NEW BEGINNING a four hanging from the bridge.” success bred success.” After being at the helm for That day the Owls also One of the international re- 35 years, White said he’s unsure drew lane number four. With cruits from Ireland who rowed about his future at Temple and teams like Purdue, Georgetown at Temple in the early 2000s that he has considered stepping and F.I.T. that are always final- was Marc Stephen. When Ste- down after this season to serve ists at the Dad Vail, the Owls phen arrived at Temple in 2000, in an advising capacity to assiswere challenged throughout the he was able to row in a few of tant coach Brian Perkins. He’s race as President Peter Liacou- the big races, including winning said he’s taking it day by day. ras, along with thousands of the Dad Vail with the varsity Now with the revival of the roaring fans, packed the banks eight boat. The Owls won the crew program last month, the of the river. Dad Vail the following year in Owls look to return to the domiFinishing three-quarters of 2001. nance they have seen in previa length ahead of F.I.T, Brennan The Owls started a cox- ous decades. Reinstatement is led the varsity eight team to its swain clinic in Philadelphia in only half the battle, White said. fourth Dad Vail win. 2002. “We just have to show them “I remember John Klemick “It was pretty much a dy- that we belong.” White said. stood up in the boat and he start- nasty,” Teti said. “Once you ed reaching down his shorts,” have never won and then you Danielle Nelson can be reached Teti said. “I am like, ‘Oh my win, you never want to lose at danielle.nelson@temple.edu or on goodness, what is he going to again. You don’t want to go Twitter @Dan_Nels. do?’ But he pulled out this cloth back to the old ways.” and he holds it out and it has the number four on it.” That summer, Temple rowed in England’s premier Royal Henley Regatta for the fourth consecutive year. In 1987, Brennan died. Throughout the rest of the 1987 season, the team wore a black patch on their unisuits to honor his memory. The Owls won the Dad Vail that May. In the spring of 1988, the Owls won numerous regattas, such as the Braxton, Frostbites, the Navy Day and the Head of the Schuylkill, among others, but could not outstroke F.I.T. in the finals of the Dad Vail, snapping their winning streak. But another streak was on the horizon. After its loss in 1988, Temple established more than a decade of dominance in the Dad Vail, winning 13 straight varsity eight titles from 1989-2001. Along with additional Canadian rowers, recruits from across the Atlantic Crew coach Gavin White looks upward while driving a boat relocated to North Broad from on the Schuylkill. | JACOB COLON TTN FILE PHOTO countries such as England, Ire-
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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
PAGE 21
Spring season begins Brian Quinn said indoor practices present a challenge. CHASE SENIOR The Temple News When the first whispers of athletic cuts were heard by members of the golf team, GOLF there were thoughts that their program could be getting the ax. But in what a Temple spokesperson said was the toughest day in the school’s history, golf was not on the chopping block. “I’m pretty sure everyone’s heart was in their throat,” said sophomore Brandon Matthews, who has set multiple program records at Temple. “Obviously, the golf team at Temple isn’t really a mainstream thing, so we were thinking we were one of the four main candidates to get cut. Our hearts were probably a little bit more in our throats then the football or basketball teams.” With the decision in the rearview and the spring season looming, things are mostly back to normal. “I think it’s just another day for a lot of us,” Matthews said. “For a little bit I think it made us all appreciate it a little bit more, because we could have basically not been on a team next year. Looking back, if they cut us, this would be our last semester ever for Temple University golf. I think it definitely made us appreciate it a little bit more, but as time went on, everyone kind of forgot about it and took it as another day.” The Owls opened the spring season on March 10 at the Tiger Invitational in Opelika, Ala. Despite an onslaught of winter weather that has impacted the Philadelphia area, the Owls have the luxury of practicing indoors whenever they want. Coach Brian Quinn has a golf academy open year-round in Conshohocken, Pa. But the lack of outdoor practice doesn’t come without consequences. “That’s going to be a challenge for us,” Quinn said of the weather. “We’re used to having an opportunity to practice a little bit outdoors and getting some reps in. This year, we’ve been at [BQ Golf Academy] all winter long. Kids have been swinging, which is a good opportunity for them to practice out of that facility. Probably no other team in the Northeast has that ability to hit balls, where they can practice hitting balls indoors and the balls going out, so that’s a great opportunity for us and it does help us shake the rust off quicker than everyone else.” The weather in Alabama was not a problem. The team will return home later this week. “As of right now it’s not affecting anything dramatically different than it has in the past, but it’s definitely going to,” Matthews said. “We’re not going to be able to practice on grass until April 10 and that’s already halfway through our season. So we’re going to be hitting balls off mats into snow for a little while, when these other schools are hitting off grass and it’s not a problem at all.” Temple spent spring break in Florida working out the kinks in order to prepare for the Tiger Invitational. The Owls will also travel to Virginia, South Carolina and New Jersey for tournaments this spring. The American Athletic Conference tournament will be held April 27-29 in Palm Harbor, Fla. Chase Senior can be reached at chase.senior@temple.edu or on Twitter @Chase_Senior.
Redshirt-sophomore Jaqi Kakalecik has shared time in net, playing during the second half of each of Temple’s games this season. | EJ SMITH TTN
Hall opens at goalie, Kakalecik closes The lacrosse team is giving its goalkeepers equal playing time. NICK TRICOME The Temple News Heading into this season, Temple had two capable goalkeepers on its roster. Instead of going the traditional route – naming one LACROSSE a starter and the other a backup – coach Bonnie Rosen decided she wanted both of them to play. “They called us into the coaches’ office and said, ‘Listen you’re both going to play,’” redshirt sophomore Jaqi Kakalecik said. Kakalecik said although both she and junior Rachel Hall can be competitive, that competing for a starting job probably wasn’t the best thing for the team. They were told what was going to happen a week or two before the season started, and
Opposing teams can also have combined for all 60 minutes in each game since. Hall get thrown off by another astakes the first half, and then Ka- pect. “[Rachel] is a lefty so that kalecik takes over in the second. “I think it’s a really good kind of throws off the other match for our team and strat- team a lot,” Kakalecik said. It may be a small detail egy,” Rosen said following Temple’s season opener against to some, but it can be one that St. Joe’s, a 11-7 win. “We’re causes frustration for any shootalways looking to obviously er that doesn’t take the time to recognize it. change things, but UP NEXT “A lot of we’re both pretty Owls vs. Delaware goalies are committed to it. I March 15 at 1 p.m. stronger on their think they’re both great goalkeepers and it gives stick-side,” Kakalecik said. “If us two different looks in each [shooters] don’t take an extra half.” second to see if it’s a left or a Both Hall and Kakalecik righty, they’re going to shoot to bring different styles, strengths [Rachel’s] stick-side, probably.” and weaknesses. That sets up a chance for “We both bring a different Hall to make an easier save, type of momentum to a game,” and by the time opponents have Hall said. “The way that we adjusted to a left-handed goalplay can definitely change how keeper, they have to go back our team plays as well, and and readjust to a right-handed how our defense plays. They’re one when Kakalecik comes in. “It definitely throws shootboth different styles, which can throw teams off because they’re ers off with two different goalies used to playing with the same in different halves,” Hall said. There are differences in goalie the whole time. With the play-style between the two, but change, it can throw them off.”
the defense in front of them hasn’t had to make many changes from half to half as a result. “We don’t really have to make any adjustments,” Hall said. “We both interact with the defense the same way, we both talk to the defense the same way. We use the same terminology, so that doesn’t change for our defense. We just make sure to stay on the same page.” Over the past couple of years, both goalkeepers’ games have improved thanks in part to the help of assistant coach Jennifer Wong. “I came in with very little technique and just relied on my athleticism,” Kakalecik said. “Jen has basically taught me everything I know about being a goalie so far, she really just kind of bashed in the fundamentals the past two years and I think Rachel would agree. She came in with a little bit more technique than I did, but Jen has really just primed our technique over the years.” Currently 2-4, the Owls
have gotten off to a rough start, but they have shown signs of a resurgence. The Owls lost to Denver 12-9 on Saturday, but rallied late to outscore the Pioneers 5-3 in the second half. The 9-4 deficit from the first was too much to come back from. “I think our defense has become a lot better,” Kakalecik said following Saturday’s game. “We implemented a new defense, a zone, where the first couple games we were just playing the man. That’s been working really well for us and, the transition has been really good, and the attack today was so into place, so it seems like everything is just about to click. That’ll be when the season turns around a little bit.” “We have to work hard every single day and put everything in, and just play our best so we can keep getting better,” Hall said. Nick Tricome can be reached at nick.tricome@temple.edu or on Twitter @itssnick215.
Errors, lack of timely hitting costs team in early season play SOFTBALL PAGE 22 erything. “I don’t want to sit here and say every time we lose it’s because they’re affected by the cuts,” DiPietro said. “They’re affected by the cuts every minute of every day. It’s not the reason we win and it’s not the reason we lose.” Lucas said the cuts are “not really hurting us that much.” “We’re still together as a team and pulling for each other,” Lucas said. “We’ve been struggling a little bit, as you can see by our record. But we’re still in good spirits, trying to turn the season around and get back to how we play softball.” Temple has performed well in some aspects. The Owls’ pitching has generally been solid, and they are undefeated when they score first. But errors and lack of timely hitting have offset the benefits of good pitching, and Temple has scored first only four times this season. Temple has also had trouble putting away close games, with a 1-7 record in games decided by two runs or less. “It’s a shame,” DiPietro said. “Just to see them go through this and know there’s
really nothing I can do, it’s just killing me. And they know it, too, that they’re not playing to anywhere near their abilities.” “It’s a little bit of a struggle,” Santos said. “It’s not that we don’t want to win, it’s not that we are wanting to lose, it’s just – we really have no words for it. But we all love being here, and we’re making the most out of our season. And that’s pretty much all we can do with what we’ve been handed.” Despite their early struggles, the Owls remain confident in their abilities. “I’m 100 percent sure that we’re going to turn it around,” Santos said. “All of us, we’re self-confident, self-motivated, self-driven. We’ll get it done. We’re not going to let this final season or the cuts affect how we play.” “One person just has to be a spark,” DiPietro said. “One of those kids has to step up and say, ‘Let’s go.’ And I think that’ll happen; it’s just not happening as fast as everybody had hoped.” Don McDermott can be reached at donald.mcdermott@temple.edu.
Quenton DeCosey passes during Temple’s win against UCF last week. | HUA ZONG TTN
Conference tourney awaits Owls BASKETBALL PAGE 22 by a 19-7 advantage on the of- season on the right note and fensive glass. UCF is third in get a few wins in the conferThe American in rebounding ence tournament, because then margin, while Temple is last. you never know what can really Redshirt-senior guard Dal- happen,” Pepper said. ton Pepper has been leading the Should the Owls get by the Owls as of late. He is averag- Knights, they will face top-seeding 19.3 points ed Cincinnati in UP NEXT and 5.0 rebounds the second round. Owls vs. UCF in the past seven The Bearcats got March 12 at 9:30 p.m. games. In that that spot by winstretch, he led the team in scor- ning a tiebreaking coin toss with ing four times and scored 20 Louisville, the second seed. points or more five times. He Temple lost at Cincinled all scorers with 26 points nati 69-58 and at home to the and grabbed six rebounds in the Bearcats 80-76. If a third game win against UCF, which was Se- happens, the Owls will need to nior Night. focus on stopping senior guard “Even though we’ve lost Sean Kilpatrick, who averaged some tough games and it’s been 26 points a game against Tema rough season, we’re still fo- ple this year. cusing in and trying to end the To win the tournament and
squeak into the NCAA tournament, Temple will need to win four straight games, which it hasn’t done all season. “I would say [this season has] been a struggle, but I think these guys have kept their attitude and their way pretty solidly,” Dunphy said. “I think they’ve done a good job. There just has been some frustration, certainly from all of us but I think for the most part, I’m very proud of how they have kept their focus to go to gameto-game. There have only have been a few times where we have just been hammered.” Evan Cross can be reached at evan.cross@temple.edu or on Twitter @evancross
SPORTS DUAL GOALKEEPERS
The Owls are utilizing both of their goalies, Jaqi Kakalecik and Rachel Hall, during early-season play. PAGE 21
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thecherry.temple-news.com
TEEING OFF
FENCERS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
After a harsh winter that has forced the team to play indoors, golf will open its season this week in Alabama. PAGE 21
Seven fencers qualify for NCAA championships, women’s basketball players receive honors, other news and notes. PAGE 19
temple-news.com
PAGE 22
Cuts loom, baseball struggles
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
Owls suffer sevengame losing streak after opening win. JEFF NEIBURG The Temple News It doesn’t take long when looking at Temple’s statistics to notice a trend. Four of the Top 6 batting averages belong to seniors, and senior pitcher Matt BASEBALL Hockenberry is the only starter with multiple starts with a sub-4 ERA. Coach Ryan Wheeler said he has an idea as to what is bothering his underclassmen. With the athletic cuts in the back of their minds, the younger players on Temple’s team have been pressing. “Right now I’ve got 26 guys that, each one of their minds is in a different place,” Wheeler said. “I’m trying to keep them together as best as I can.” Junior guard Will Cummings (center) drives to the hoop during Temple’s 86-78 overtime win against Central Florida, which improved Temple’s home record to Keeping them together has 4-9. The Owls will face the Knights again on Wednesday in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament. | HUA ZONG TTN been a challenge for Wheeler. After winning its first game 15-8, Temple (3-8) lost seven straight games by a combined score of 59-16. Many underclassmen on the that it was a tough league since American) are entering the ing a couple of games coming the foul line. team will be looking for a new The team enters the five teams – Louisville, Cincin- tournament on their first win- in,” Dunphy said after the USF “Just going in strong into home to continue their base- conference tourney nati, Memphis, Connecticut and ning streak in more than three game. “We’ll have a tough task the conference tournament ... ball careers when the season is Southern Methodist – have been months after topping UCF and on Wednesday night … We hope you never know what could with a win streak. over. They’ll follow the path of ranked for a large portion of the South Florida – the latter a our mindset is good enough at happen, really,” Cummings their six former teammates who EVAN CROSS season. 66-65 win thanks to a buzzer- this point.” said. “You can string together transferred after the Board of “They are really good bas- beating basket from sophomore Junior guard Will Cum- some wins, and there you go.” Assistant Sports Editor Trustees approved a decision to ketball teams and hopefully we guard Quenton DeCosey. mings has been the team’s best One key for the first round eliminate the baseball team in Temple has the No. 8 seed player against UCF this season. game will be winning on the After the 86-78 overtime will get five teams in there,” the December. Wheeler said he bein The American tournament He scored 31 points on 14 shots boards. In UCF’s win, the victory against Central Florida coach said. lieves that dealing with outside He paused. and will have a rubber match in the first game, a 78-76 UCF Knights won the rebounding last week, issues has caused a lack of focus MEN’S BASKETBALL “Hopefully, we’ll get six with the No. 9 seed, UCF, on win, and 23 points on 11 shots battle 41-27. In Temple’s win, Fran Dunamong a handful of players. in the second match-up. He had the Owls outrebounded the phy was ex- teams in the NCAA tourna- Wednesday. “No matter how much I tell “At this point in the year, three steals in each game and Knights 36-30 and were buoyed tolling the virtues of the Ameri- ment,” he added. The Owls (9-21, 4-14 The it’s certainly far better than los- went a combined 18 for 20 from BASKETBALL PAGE 21 can Athletic Conference, saying WHEELER PAGE 19
Owls aim to ‘end on right note’
DiPietro: Don’t blame cuts for poor play Through their first 18 games, the Owls have committed 30 errors. DON MCDERMOTT The Temple News Temple’s game against Central Arkansas was over, but the players weren’t anywhere. SOFTBALL going The two teams headed to the outfield, where the student-athletes and coaches formed a circle – alternating Owl and Bear – and joined hands while the Central Arkansas coach prayed for Temple and wished them all the best moving forward. The Board of Trustees approved a decision in December to eliminate the softball team. “It was a very, very thoughtful moment,” sophomore second baseman Leah Lucas said. “It was really cool to have a coach and a team feel for us and give us their condolences. It was really good to see a team genuinely care about what has been happening to us.” “That was probably the most genuine gesture I’ve ever seen in my life,” freshman center fielder Toni Santos said. “Every single person on my team was crying.” That moment, however,
came at the end of an 11-3 loss. It was one of the worst games of Temple’s season – which has gotten off to a rocky start. The Owls (7-11) have struggled with errors and hitting. Members of the team said their fielding problems are due to a lack of practice. “There are some times when I feel like our team hasn’t really been prepared,” Santos said. “It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just due to weather conditions.
We haven’t seen dirt since the fall.” Temple has made 30 errors during the course of the season, including 11 in a three-game stretch. The Owls have given up 17 unearned runs. In losses to Mount St. Mary’s and Florida Atlantic, an unearned run was the difference in each game. The team has also struggled to hit with runners on base. Temple has stranded 131 runners so far.
Earlier in the season, coach Joe DiPietro said the cuts were affecting the team’s play. “They’re trying to play hard, but their focus isn’t here,” DiPietro said after the Mount St. Mary’s game. “I mean, with the cuts and them being affected. It’s just been hard for them to focus.” But now DiPietro said the cuts cannot be blamed for ev- Redshirt-senior Natasha Thames garners for position during Temple’s home win against Houston. | ABI REIMOLD TTN
SOFTBALL PAGE 21
Rebuilding season finishes with loss The team fell to USF and ended its season with a 14-16 record. BRIEN EDWARDS The Temple News
After an 11-3 loss, the Owls and members of Central Arkansas stand in a circle of prayer in recognition of the program being eliminated. | COURTESY BRADLEY WIDDING
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The rebuilding project is not over. After four straight seasons ending in winning records and postseason berths, a 14-16 overall WOMEN’S BASKETBALL record in the 201314 season has given the Tonya Cardoza-led Owls two consecu-
tive losing seasons marred in inconsistency. In its first season in the new American Athletic Conference, Temple recorded an 8-10 conference record, and its season came to a screeching stop with a 72-44 blowout loss against South Florida in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. “This is not the way you want to end your season, but all credit definitely goes to USF,” Cardoza said after the tournament defeat. The Owls were voted to finish in ninth place in The Ameri-
TOURNEY PAGE 19
