The Temple News

THE TEMPLE NEWS

HEADING FOR THE EXITS?

Multiple Temple players have entered the transfer portal following the departure of former head coach Aaron McKie.

Read more on Page 20.

VOL 101 // ISSUE 11 TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2023

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

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The Temple News

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

Lawrence Ukenye Editor-in-Chief Julia Merola Print Managing Editor Fallon Roth Digital Managing Editor Megan Phillips Chief Print Copy Editor Kayla Maguire Chief Digital Copy Editor Oliver Sabo News Staff Writer Sarah Frasca Opinion Editor Molly Fiske Assistant Opinion Editor Duay Augustine Assistant Features Editor Sofia Kasbo Features Staff Writer Nick Gangewere Sports Editor Javon Edmonds Assistant Sports Editor Samuel O’Neal Assistant Sports Editor Maggie Fitzgerald Director of Audience Engagement Emily Lewis Public Engagement Coordinator Taylor Hargraves Audience Engagement Editor Sara Wexler Audience Engagement Editor Chris Duong Sports Social Media Manager Earl Kufen Photo Editor Robert Joseph Cruz Assistant Photo Editor Nate Pullano Multimedia Editor Will Colavito Multimedia Editor Joelle Pacheco Print Design Editor Allyson Tharp Graphic Design Editor Isabella Medina Web Editor Rachel Townsend Data Editor Olivia Hall Podcast Editor Rose Mastrangelo Advertising Manager Matthew Eaton Advertising Manager Kurt Nolasco Business Manager

Follow us @TheTempleNews

The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community.

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News.

The Editorial Board is made up of The Temple News’ Editor-inChief, Managing Editor, Digital Managing Editor, Chief Copy Editors, and Opinion Editors. The views expressed in editorials only reflect those of the Board, and not of the entire Temple News staff.

ON THE COVER Multiple Temple Men’s Basketball players and former head coach Aaron McKie at The Liacouras Center on Feb. 5.

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Contacts Visit us online at temple-news.com Email section staff news@temple-news.com letters@temple-news.com features@temple-news.com sports@temple-news.com The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

CORRECTIONS Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Lawrence Ukenye at editor@temple-news.com.

The Temple News

ADMINISTRATION

NEWS

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ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS On top of state allocations, Temple received $7.9 million this fiscal year for mental health services and scholarships.

How Shapiro’s budget proposal affects Temple Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a sity leaders from the other state-related cent increase is some element of recog- next year’s budgets, Kaiser wrote in an 1.8 percent increase in Temple’s universities like Penn State University, nition that costs go up every year,” Kai- email to The Temple News. budget appropriation.

University of Pittsburgh and Lincoln ser said. “But the rest of it, if they were Temple lobbies for state funding

BY FALLON ROTH Digital Managing Editor

P

resident Jason Wingard will travel to Harrisburg today to testify on Temple University’s state appropriations at a Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ budget hearing.

The hearing comes roughly two weeks after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gave his first state budget address earlier this month, touting the conservative nature of his spending proposals for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Shapiro proposed a roughly 1.8 percent increase in state funding for Temple as opposed to the 5 percent that former Gov. Tom Wolf proposed last year.

“This budget makes a real investment in our community colleges and technical schools,” Shapiro said at his budget address. “It devotes real resources to our PASSHE system and state-relateds to keep them whole as federal aid shrinks.”

Wingard will be joined by univer-

University at the hearing today and the upcoming State Senate hearing on March 30, said Dennis Lynch, assistant vice president for government relations.

State-related universities receive an annual financial allocation from the Pennsylvania government.

Temple’s requested 16 percent increase from the state was not approved, but it would have allowed Temple to keep in-state tuition flat for the 2023-24 academic year, said Ken Kaiser, senior vice president and chief operating officer. Last year, Temple requested a 3 percent increase, which equates to roughly $4.6 million.

Temple received $7.9 million in cash this fiscal year, used for areas like mental health and scholarships, in addition to the $158.2 million in state allocations the university has been receiving for several years, totaling about $166 million.

Pending approval by the state legislature, the governor’s $44 billion spending plan includes an approximate $169.4 million proposal for Temple — a $3.3 million increase — to be used to help offset the costs of university operations.

“What we looked into at this 16 per-

to give it to us, we would not increase tuition for in-state students.”

State funding only comprises about 12 percent of Temple’s overall budget, so a smaller increase from the state does not have a significant impact, Kaiser said.

“Every increase is helpful,” Kaiser said. “But getting an increase in state funding is not, at this level, is not going to cover the increase in costs for Temple or allow us to not do a tuition increase.”

Between 82 and 83 percent of Temple’s budget is from tuition and enrollment, so state funding will only offset a small portion of declining revenue caused by decreasing enrollment.

The university has undergone cuts for its past five to seven budgets, Kaiser added.

“The priority is always to keep tuition at a level that is as low as possible, but as prices go up, the cost of doing business goes up, tuition has to go up as well,” Kaiser said. “And as there’s more demand for more and new services, it’s got to be paid for.”

TUGSA’s recent contract deal with the university is costing “more than anticipated,” also impacting this year’s and

by traveling to Harrisburg and using their Owl Advocate network, which sends emails to the Temple community encouraging them to reach out to state lawmakers, Lynch said. Temple will also host their Owls on the Hill program on April 26, which sends interested students to Harrisburg.

For the first time in 12 years, the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats with a one-seat majority, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Shapiro’s budget address has received support from both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers. Kaiser is “cautiously optimistic” about the budget’s approval and the status of how a Democrat-controlled house could impact future support for higher education.

Shapiro’s administration plans to convene a working group of university presidents to help advise the future of higher education in the state, according to his address. fallon.roth@temple.edu @fallonroth_

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NEWS

The Temple News

TSG

TSG announces 2023-24 presidential candidates

Voting for the Temple Student Government election will take place March 28-29.

BY GRACE RUFALO For The Temple News With Temple Student Government’s elections set for March 28-29, the two executive campaigns that will be competing for Temple student body president and vice president in the 2023 election have been campaigning for students’ support.

TSG is hosting a debate night on March 22 for the two campaigns, Empower Owls and Innovate TU at the Howard Gittis Student Center. Voting will take place online with the results being announced March 30 and the inauguration held on May 1.

Here are the candidates for the 202324 election.

EMPOWER OWLS Rohan Khadka, a sophomore secondary education-social studies major, is running for president of Empower Owls. He currently serves as TSG’s chief external affairs officer.

Lauren Jacob, a sophomore public health major, is running as vice president alongside Khadka. Jacob is currently TSG’s director of sustainability as well as vice president of Temple College Democrats.

“Our whole goal is to bridge the gap between communities that aren’t always reflected and are not always given a voice at the table,” Khadka said.

Empower Owls’ platform centers around campus safety, sustainability, campus life and equality. Their proposals include increasing lighting off-campus, reforming TU Alerts to be more transparent and revising FLIGHT to reduce wait times while providing accurate time estimations and internal reviews of misconduct, according to their website.

Khadka and Jacob’s goal is to empower the Philadelphia community as well as Temple students.

“We don’t want to assume anything and we don’t want to insinuate what they might want or what they might need,” Jacob said. “We’re asking for representatives of every kind of background and different people and we want everyone to just sit at a table and just talk because nothing really gets done by just assuming what other people need.”

If elected, Khadka and Jacob will advocate for more transparency from the Temple administration.

The group is pushing for the implementation of town halls with Q&A sessions and more opportunities for students to engage in open forum meetings with the Board of Trustees, according to their website.

Empower Owls will also advocate for free SEPTA transportation and better coordination during move-outs to create less waste. The campaign will also push for the reduction of the amount of food waste from Temple’s dining halls by promoting composting and helping students with food insecurity by partnering with Too Good To Go, an app that alerts users when food from restaurants and stores is about to go to waste.

INNOVATE TU Eryal Szyszko, a junior health professions major, is running for president of Innovate TU. She currently serves as TSG’s director of health and wellness.

Ray Epstein, a sophomore English major, is running as vice president alongside Szyszko. Epstein is currently the president of Student Activists Against Sexual Assault and is the chapter outreach coordinator for the Take Back the Night Foundation, a movement dedicated to ending sexual violence.

“Yeah, honestly this whole experience of campaigning has been such a great eye opening one,” Szyszko said.

“Being able to talk to so many different orgs and clubs, even just this week, you get to meet so many students who are passionate, who are motivated, and who really, actually inspired me personally to go for this position.”

EARL KUFEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Empower Owls and Innovate TU are the two campaigns running for Temple Student Body President and Vice President in the 2023 election.

Innovate TU’s platform focuses on topics like safety, advocacy, communication between administration and the student body and representation.

Szyszko and Epstein will advocate to expand the TU Alert system by creating a newsletter with sections including crime both on and off-campus and follow-up information on previous crimes, according to their website.

“That’s what the newsletter would do,” Szyszko said. “It would open that connection between administration and students and have the conversation going. We can’t control crime rates rising, but we can control how we respond and we can control how we’re going to support the students.”

If elected, Szyszko and Epstein will push for an annual breakfast buffet and bi-monthly roundtable discussions featuring representatives from student organizations.

“So like once a month maybe student org leaders could come and meet with student activities, TSG, maybe some administrators, maybe the WRC and just kind of voice their concerns and ideas as

well,” Epstein said.

Innovate TU also advocates for providing freshmen with care packages that include items like snacks and a map of campus resources.

To help those who are survivors of sexual violence, Innovate TU plans to create an advocate team of trained individuals as a resource for those in need.

This team would offer support for survivors and assist them in standing up for their rights, according to their website.

After last year’s uncontested election and a decreasing voter turnout in previous years, both campaigns were hopeful about this year’s election.

“We’re just hoping that everyone goes out and votes,” Khadka said. “It’s not who you vote for but rather you vote.”

“It’s really important to us to spread the word,” Szyszko said. “Like please vote, look at both of our policies, like, figure out what you think is best for the school and please just vote.” grace.rufalo@temple.edu

The Temple News

INVESTIGATION

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ADMINISTRATION

Students disapprove of Wingard’s performance The Temple News surveyed roughly 1,000 students from March 10-18.

BY JULIA MEROLA, FALLON ROTH AND RACHEL TOWNSEND For The Temple News

F

ollowing the fatal shooting of Temple University Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald on Feb. 18, the Temple University Graduate Students’ Association’s 42-day strike and a potential faculty vote of no-confidence, 92 percent of students generally disapprove of Jason Wingard’s performance as Temple’s president, according to a March 2023 poll conducted by The Temple News.

The Temple News surveyed slightly more than 1,000 students from March 10-18, examining their feelings about Wingard, the university’s response to ongoing challenges and Temple’s trajectory. Students were required to have a Temple email to take the survey and were only allowed to submit one response.

All respondents were provided the option to expand on their feelings outside of the multiple choice questions and granted anonymity in order to speak candidly on their feelings about university leadership, as with all polls conducted by The Temple News during the 2022-23 academic year.

Students have voiced their opinions on Wingard’s leadership in various forums including on social media and with Student Body President Gianni Quattrocchi, who has heard their disapproval, approval and indifference of Wingard.

The Temple News reached out to Wingard for comment, but instead Deirdre Childress Hopkins and Stephen Orbanek, university spokespersons, issued a statement on behalf of Temple.

“We respect the goals of our student news leaders to capture the sentiment of their peers and understand the concerns that were raised by some in the survey,”

EARL KUFEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Ninety-two percent of students generally disapprove of Jason Wingard’s performance as president of Temple University, according to a March 2023 poll conducted by The Temple News.

Childress Hopkins wrote. “We are committed to listening and better incorporating student voices as we continue to implement solutions to the issues facing our campus.”

THE ISSUES When choosing between safety, the TUGSA strike and affordability as options, 75 percent of students surveyed identified safety as the biggest issue at Temple. Fifty-eight percent believed it was the most important topic to them.

In 2022, there were more than 10,300 crime incidents in Police District 22, which encompasses Main Campus, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

After the fatal shooting of a Temple student in November 2021, Wingard committed to increasing campus safety’s force by 50 percent. More than a year

later, that goal has not yet been reached because Temple is struggling to find qualified officers or people who want to work in the field amid national challenges in police hiring.

On March 17, Temple added eight new officers after the Philadelphia Police Academy’s graduation ceremony at McGonigle Hall.

Although the university cannot always control incidents near Main Campus, they can control their communication about crime with students, said Eryal Szyszko, the Temple Student Government presidential candidate for Innovate TU. “I think our school is trying to protect some kind of image of, I guess just kind of being afraid of how they’re going to be perceived with the rising crime,” Szyszko said.

Temple is improving safety com-

munication by creating a Campus Safety Media webpage to post updates for media consumption.

Almost 19 percent of respondents also cited the TUGSA strike as the university’s biggest issue, while affordability received 6.3 percent of students’ votes.

In addition, around 26 percent felt education quality was most important to them and 15.5 percent said affordability.

In August 2022, Wingard published “The College Devaluation Crisis,” a book which examines the declining value of a college degree.

“The value of the college degree, in my estimation, has reached its peak and is on the wane, thanks to a host of factors stretching from cost and affordability to curriculum relevance to rapidly evolving skill needs to advances in automation and technology—and including the disruption in the workforce due to the

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INVESTIGATION

The Temple News

sponded to the survey. “He has the same vibe as a businessman who becomes a politician because he thinks his success in business will carry over into all leadership roles.”

When examining the nearly 10 percent national decline in student enrollment, Wingard compared it to a company losing profit.

“Imagine if a company lost nearly 10 percent of its profits in two years,” Wingard wrote for Inside Higher Ed. “The situation would be catastrophic.

Drastic changes would be expected. We have lost nearly 10 percent of our students, but where is our sense of urgency?

What will it take for us to recognize that the status quo is not working?”

COVID-19 pandemic,” Wingard wrote in his preface.

At his inauguration in September, Wingard discussed five pillars for increasing the value of Temple’s education — “access, educational value, thought leadership, community engagement and reputational excellence.”

“Education should be our number one priority as a university but honestly, it’s not,” said Alexis Carter-Steward, president of Temple’s Progressive NAACP. “Our number one priority right now is safety. And the numbers are going to continue to drop within the university if President Wingard cannot grasp what truly matters, which is honestly our safety at this point.”

“UNOBTAINABLE” Despite his planned move to North Central, his large social media presence, which includes his #WingardOwlProwl, some feel Wingard is inaccessible.

Ray Epstein, president of Student

Activists Against Sexual Assault, believes her organization’s mission as a resource for sexual assault awareness and survivors should incentivize Wingard to reach out.

“I feel like we know probably better than anyone the prevalence of sexual assault on this campus because people confide and I feel like that should be incentive to reach out and communicate with us and we should definitely be able to talk to him and I feel like he’s this unobtainable person, he’s more of a concept to me, because I have never gotten to interact with him, and he’s unreachable,” said Epstein, who is running for vice president of Innovate TU. However, Quattrocchi claims Wingard has made his office very accessible to him. TSG and Wingard have formal meetings throughout the semester, along with other initiatives they collaborate on, like TSG’s campus safety town hall, Quattrocchi added.

Additionally, roughly 92 percent

of student respondents do not believe Wingard is relatable to students.

“A lot of Temple students and Wingard are from very different paths in life, so we can see that he is more affluent than compared to the Temple community,” said Rohan Khadka, the TSG presidential candidate for Empower Owls.

Wingard should reach out to students on Main Campus, Khadka said.

“Maybe [Wingard] can go to orgs and ask, ‘What do you need? I’m here to help, how can I help you?’ Rather than ‘Hey, would you like to take a picture with me then move on?’” Khadka said.

Prior to his academic leadership positions, Wingard served as managing director and chief learning officer at Goldman Sachs, and in multiple cross-functional executive and consulting roles for organizations like the Aspen Institute and the Vanguard Group.

“Jason Wingard should not be in an education administration position,” wrote an anonymous student who re-

MOVING FORWARD When asked whether they felt Temple was heading in a positive direction about 92 percent of respondents feel it is not.

If elected as TSG president, Szyszko would aim to hold the university accountable to ensure students’ concerns are heard.

“I think students should be getting a newsletter every month or maybe two times a month about what’s going on with the crime trends we have, the resources that they can use,” Szyszko said.

“I think there is just a lot to be talked about that hasn’t been talked about. It’s just been kind of radio silence.”

If students have concerns about administration, TSG hosts biweekly town halls and is open to their feedback, Quattrocchi said.

“I believe in feedback and like if a student wants to say ‘I want to see more of this, or less of this,’ I am, as the representative of the student body, I’m comfortable bringing those concerns to the administration,” Quattrocchi said. julia.merola@temple.edu @juliaamerola fallon.roth@temple.edu @fallonroth_ rachel.townsend@temple.edu @racheltownsendd

OPINION

The Temple News

EDITORIAL

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POLITICS

Improve Temple leadership Students, be media literate This semester, Temple University has been scrutinized for its handling of public safety near Main Campus and communication efforts following the fatal shooting of Temple University Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald and Temple University Graduate Students’ Association’s 42-day strike.

Now, 92 percent of students generally disapprove of Wingard’s performance as president, according to a March 2023 poll conducted by The Temple News.

Additionally, the Temple Association of University Professionals could potentially authorize a no-confidence vote against Temple leadership, including President Jason Wingard, Provost Gregory Mandel and board chair Mitchell Morgan.

The Editorial Board is urging Wingard and other members of Temple’s administration to acknowledge the community’s lack of confidence and work to improve their leadership style in the coming weeks by continuing to communicate campus safety plans and improving connections with students on campus, beyond social media posts.

In a Feb. 22 interview with NBC10 Philadelphia, Wingard said he did not know what specifically the university needs to address safety concerns aside from collaboration with the state.

“If you ask the question, ‘What should Temple University be doing to keep their students safe who live in Philadelphia?’ I don’t have the answer to that,” Wingard said.

One of the pillars of Temple’s Strategic Plan is thought leadership, or creating knowledge students can use “to take on and solve society’s greatest challenges.”

However, Wingard has not been an example to demonstrate this solutions-based leadership himself.

On March 8, Pennsylvania lawmakers awarded Temple $1.8 million in funding for campus safety, including gunshot detection technology, license plate readers, retention and recruitment bonuses and cameras.

It’s essential that Temple is transparent about the use of its budget and provides updates to the community regarding the progress of the public safety initiative. Last month, the university created a Campus Safety Media webpage to proactively update the Temple community with verified public safety information.

Despite steps toward improving communicating safety efforts, Wingard’s uncertainty regarding campus safety solutions generates pessimism for the university moving forward. Roughly 92 percent of students said Temple is not heading in a positive direction.

Students were also polled on whether they think Wingard is relatable as a president, and around 92 percent responded “No.” By failing to form relationships with students, Wingard appears removed from the community and their concerns.

The university president needs to be more engaged with students, faculty and staff, by being active on campus and learning how to best serve them. It is important for people to feel like their voices are being heard and their concerns are actively being addressed to gain trust as a university leader.

As the Temple community expresses an overwhelming lack of confidence in Temple’s future, the Editorial Board urges the administration to reevaluate their leadership style and how they can best tackle Temple’s pressing concerns.

A student urges her peers to learn and practice media literacy before the next presidential election.

BY McCAILLAIGH ROUSE For The Temple News

I

n February, Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News for knowingly reporting false information that its voting machines rigged the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden, The New York Times reported.

More than one-third of Americans believed Joe Biden won the election due to voter fraud following polarizing and misleading news consumption, according to a November 2021 poll by Monmouth University. However, media literacy — the practice of critically thinking about and analyzing all forms of media — can help students consume news with confidence and prevent the spread of “fake news.”

With misinformation from the previous presidential election remaining relevant in the news and the coverage of the 2024 election starting more than a year in advance, students must practice media literacy to prepare for the upcoming presidential election season. Students should also be mindful of the validity of the sources and the accuracy of information presented to establish an informed understanding of candidates.

News networks often lean to the left or right on the political spectrum and can produce biased news against certain politicians and policies, potentially manipulating a person’s perspective of the truth.

Referring to multiple news sources with moderate political reporting is an effective way to combat bias and learn accurate information about a candidate. Students should also visit the website AllSides, a resource with a media bias chart that outlines where outlets lean politically. Sources with alternative political views depict varying perspectives on candidates, so understanding biases that affect reporting can help viewers evaluate the intentions and validity of news stories.

“When it’s important information, you

want to check multiple sources,” said Sherri Hope Culver, a media studies and production professor and director of the Center for Media and Information Literacy. “Spend some time actually looking behind the scenes of some news organizations that are maybe regional, maybe national or global and ask questions.”

A prominent method candidates use to promote themselves is through political ads on news outlets, but students shouldn’t immediately take these to be fully accurate.

Political ads can contain information about candidates and their opponents, although it’s not always factually accurate, NPR reported.

The Federal Communication Commission does not fact-check political advertisements on federally broadcasted channels and many large social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, have limited restrictions.

Social media has been at the center of a contentious debate around the regulation of free speech, and it plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse and informing opinions.

Although Twitter has policies for civic integrity, Elon Musk, the platform’s CEO, reduced the number of content moderators, CBS News reported.

False political ads skew a viewer’s perception of candidates, so they must confirm information through their own research on reputable websites to better prepare themselves as voters. Fact-checking websites like FactCheck. org and Snopes are accessible media-literate resources to analyze and evaluate information about candidates.

Other voters can be knowledgeable about the upcoming election by taking initiative to do their own research.

“I think that people should find out the information for themselves, don’t just listen to what your friends are doing,” said Tiana Jones, a sophomore biology student. “Think for yourself, look for yourself, and decide what you think is best for you.”

Students must practice media literacy to validate the news they consume and feel confident when voting in the 2024 election. mccaillaigh.rouse@temple.edu

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OPINION

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

How Flik the ant taught me about being confident The movie “A Bug’s Life” provided a student with a new outlook on his identity as an individual.

BY NICK GANGEWERE Sports Editor The girl that sat next to me in my fifth-grade math class had purple hair and dreamed of being a hairdresser. My best friend was the most advanced reader in the school and thought he could be an author one day. The boy who I had football catches with during recess was 5’11” and wanted to be a basketball star in college.

Each of my elementary school friends had their own little quirks which distinguished them from everyone else, but I was still trying to find mine. I wanted to differentiate myself from the rest of the kids my age. I wanted to be special because everyone around me was.

I felt like I would never be unique because I lacked the self-confidence to fully stand out. I had family, friends and teachers that cared about me, but my self-esteem wasn’t as developed as the kids around me. While other kids were super athletic or talented, I had yet to find a place in the neighborhood.

In fifth grade, I watched the movie “A Bug’s Life.” The Disney Pixar movie, a story of an ant sticking up for his colony against grasshoppers, was supposed to be a fun way to end the week before winter break. Everyone in my class laughed at the film, but I found a deeper meaning behind it.

Each ant had their role in the colony and their own identity. In my own colony at school, kids were naturally different, whereas my individuality wasn’t apparent yet.

I went home that day with the main character, Flik, on my mind. He was a simple ant in a world of bigger and better bugs, but what separated him from the rest was his confidence. Flik believed his species was capable of more than just existing, inspiring me to dream as big as he did.

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

If my vision in fifth grade was a seed then my future goals were a tree, and all it would take is some confidence for the seed to grow. Flik knew what it would take to grow a tree, but as he told the little ant Dot, “You just have to give yourself some time.”

Flik did not focus on his reputation, instead he worked toward becoming the ideal version of himself. He encouraged me to find my confidence by exploring the things I’m passionate about, like sports, reading and writing, in hopes of achieving my goals of living in a big city and becoming successful in whatever path I chose.

The next day, I walked into school and sat down for our fifth-grade winter assembly. While everyone was celebrating the holidays, all I could think about

was my new dream of one day becoming a college student in a city with a job that makes me happy.

Dreaming big seemed like a daunting task for an 11 year old, but while searching for my identity, I began to feel like I could become the best version of myself — an older me who is happy no matter the circumstances.

I gave myself the time to work hard at the things that brought me joy and eventually became confident in my own abilities when I received recognition for my writing. With Flik’s words of wisdom in mind, I found it easier to work towards my goals and grow my self-esteem.

I slowly became more involved inside and outside of school and participated in activities that allowed me to

interact with more people which aided my goals and confidence.

Today I feel like I’m well on my way to becoming the person I dreamed of all those years ago. I have plenty of self-confidence and I’m willing to focus on how I view myself instead of how society views me.

Although it’s just a childhood animated movie for many, “A Bug’s Life” inspired me beyond the surface-level heroism.

Flik helped me cultivate the confidence needed to approach my goals and realize they can become reality. With the assurance of a bug, I’m well on my way to securing the identity I feared I could never achieve. nicholas.gangewere@temple.edu @nick_gang16

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 9

HEALTH

Period products belong in all campus restrooms A student advocates for Temple to provide free menstrual products in all bathrooms.

BY SARAH FRASCA Opinion Editor Nearly 60 percent of Temple University students have or know someone who has struggled with period poverty — limited access to menstrual hygiene products and education — and nearly all students believe they should have access to free and safe period products on campus, according to an October 2022 survey created by Kendall Stephens, a senior social work major.

Before creating her survey, Stephens talked to people around Main Campus about period poverty to learn how it affects the Temple community.

“I was horrified and in tears from what I was hearing,” said Stephens, who is also the creator of the Temple Initiative for Menstrual Equity, which advocates for ending the inaccessibility of period products. “I was hearing from over a dozen people, a dozen women specifically, who had to either miss class or had to take a break from school because they had to endure toxic shock syndrome as a result of inaccessibility to menstrual products.”

Temple should offer safe, free and accessible period products, like pads, tampons, period underwear and diva cups, in all bathrooms on campus, including men’s and gender-neutral bathrooms, to reduce period poverty.

Ten percent of menstruating college students experience period poverty monthly, and many face social, cultural, economic and political barriers, according to a February 2022 study by the Journal of Global Health Reports.

Period poverty could stem from a lack of access or affordability to menstrual supplies and education. Some students are only able to get products when they’re free or borrowed and often resort to wearing products longer than suggested or even going without them. “[Period poverty] can often resort to using unhygienic products to offset not having enough money for menstrual products, so, like rags, or I know some

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

people use socks sometimes,” said Jennyfer Ngo, a senior biology major and president of Temple’s PERIOD chapter, a national menstrual equity advocacy group.

Temple can help prevent risks of period poverty by providing free and easily available menstrual products in all campus bathrooms. Instead, they have taken steps in the opposite direction.

Starting in the fall of 2017, Deborah Cai, a communication and social influence professor and senior associate dean at the Klein College of Media and Communication, noticed coin-operated period product dispensers inside women’s bathrooms being removed allegedly due to vandalism.

Then, in the spring semester of 2018, Cai and Maya Minhas, a communication studies student who graduated in May 2018, began stocking Annenberg Hall bathrooms with pads and tampons.

In January 2019, dispensers from

Aunt Flow, an organization that provides free menstrual products, were added to Annenberg’s women’s restrooms, and Klein now funds supplies through the college’s budget.

“Women need respect and this is a way to show it, and it helps reduce the absenteeism of female students or any student dealing with a period or missing class or being late to class, so it’s beneficial to everyone,” Cai said.Period poverty disproportionately affects students of color, first-generation, transgender and nonbinary students assigned female at birth because many don’t aren’t able to access or afford menstrual products.

“AFAB and nonbinary trans people, what I’ve noticed is hesitancy to reach out and speak out about how menstrual inequality and inequity has affected their lives, and a lot of it has to do with anti-trans rhetoric and systems and attitudes and beliefs that have silenced them into silos of shame,” Stephens said.

Currently, the Cherry Pantry and Temple Student Government’s office, and the women’s restrooms in Annenberg are some of the few places on campus that offer free pads and tampons.

Many students may not be able to travel across campus to Annenberg Hall, the Howard Gittis Student Center or other restrooms when they need menstrual products. Faculty members also sometimes stock campus restrooms, but it should be the university’s responsibility, not the Temple community’s.

All Temple restrooms should offer free period products for all students because period poverty is a serious issue on campus, and the university has the ability to address it.

“We’re not handing out $50 bills, okay, we’re handing out products that people need to meet their menstrual needs, period,” Stephens said. “This is a simple fix.” sarah.frasca@temple.edu @sarahhfrasca

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The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 11

THE ESSAYIST

Cherry blossoms through two connected lifetimes A student describes how a symbol in her grandmother’s paintings catalyzed her growth.

BY CLAIRE ZEFFER For The Temple News Once a year, an opulent bloom of cherry blossoms comes around, radiating beauty and signifying spring with their delicate pink florets.

I saw one in the backyard of the house across the street in my hometown Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and I saw an abundance of them during a family vacation to Washington, D.C. The elegant array of flowers entranced me as a wideeyed 9 year old.

In Japan, where the cherry blossoms are most culturally significant, they’re called sakura, and they have a long-standing reputation as an emblem of identity and life. They’re symbols of renewal and hope, and their meaning is continuously celebrated by the Japanese people.

Just like me, my grandmother loved cherry blossoms. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, and came to Long Island, New York, in the 1950s to build a life and family. I never got to meet her, but I know she was a fantastic painter. I’ve envisioned who she was through family stories, photographs and the beautiful painted canvases she left to my family.

When I was 18, I found a collection of her artwork in my attic that I hadn’t seen before. It was heartwarming to find that cherry blossom trees were the one recurring facet in each painting.

Once I saw my grandmother’s artistic connection to the cherry blossoms, I began to identify with their deeper meaning.

Cherry blossoms thrive for only two weeks each year before they wither and fall away until their next annual emergence. When they are in season, they exude power, inspiration and greatness before the petals dwindle and leave with the wind.

I see the transient nature of the cherry blossoms as a metaphor for fleet-

ALLYSON THARP / THE TEMPLE NEWS

ing life. The cherry blossom bloom is short-lived, but it doesn’t diminish their overwhelming beauty or the impact they make while flourishing.

The symbolism of the cherry blossom trees stuck with me and became an allegory of courage and a catalyst for personal change. For the first time, I recognized our lives are fragile, and time is not guaranteed. I knew I had to use the time I was given to make a positive impact.

I began my first semester of college in August 2020 amidst political upheaval and the COVID-19 pandemic. I struggled to put down roots and felt a deep sense of hopelessness in my future. I couldn’t believe how much I had gotten wrong.

I knew Pace University’s New York City campus wasn’t the right fit for me; the thought of a lifelong career in health science, my chosen major, made me feel uneasy. I was drawn to writing but re-

jected it, fearing a lack of job opportunities.

It certainly would’ve been easier to stick it out at the wrong college with the wrong major at the wrong time, but the memory of my grandmother’s journey to the U.S. and the cherry blossoms reminded me again of the importance of using what short time I have to make a difference for myself and others.

I could have chosen to grin and bear it, unhappy and unwilling to make my mark. Instead, I was inspired by my grandmother and the cherry blossoms and took a gap year, transferred schools and changed my major to journalism.

In many ways, I found myself through the elation and the misery that came along with such big changes. I finally allowed myself to lean into what my heart wanted, not what my brain wanted or what other people wanted for me.

I believe now that my grandmother’s

depiction of sakura reminded her of her home in Japan and also showed her the value of strength, courage and safety as she tried to navigate her way through life in a foreign culture.

While our circumstances differ, the cherry blossoms provide me with the same qualities: they remind me that my future is full of possibilities and that I am capable of cultivating change. Life is fleeting, but I have the power to make each second worthwhile and to flourish, just as the sakura do. claire.zeffer@temple.edu clairezeffer

LIVE Philly in

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Elizabeth Wellington, founder of Mindful Presents, sells boxes of candles, sage and essential oils for consumers to improve their mindfulness.

THE FIRST ANNUAL WOMEN MAKERS MARKET The Women Makers Market featured women entrepreneurs from around the Philadelphia area.

BY ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ Assistant Photo Editor

I

n celebration of Women’s History Month, Hyatt Centric hotel in Center City at Chancellor Street near 16th held the Women Makers Market featuring women from around the Philadelphia area showcasing their products and services. Entrepreneurs connected with each other and consumers to promote their businesses and sold self-made products and creative services, including candles, jewelry and tintype photography, amongst other products.

“A lot of times it costs us a lot of money to enter events such as this, and the cost could be prohibitive and you never know what the outcome is going

to be,” said Tina Dixon Spence, founder of Buddha Babe, a boutique that sells clothes and toys for babies. “So, for a business like the Hyatt to step up and say ‘We are going to create this platform, we are going to amplify women owned businesses and give them a time and a place to shine at no cost to them,’ is just so important and so meaningful.”

The two-day event was held in Hyatt Centric’s second floor lobby on March 18-19.

For Hannah Brong, an employee representing Mother Butters, a company specializing in making nut-free spreads, the connection women establish with customers is what makes the event special.

“I think these markets are a great outlet to give out business cards, give out samples, give out testers, or just to get yourself known,” said Brong, who is a sophomore at Drexel University.

“The more known you are, you can keep working until you’re where you want to

be.”

Much of the consumer market for women’s products is dominated by men, making events like the Women Makers Market so important; nobody knows what women want more than women, said Tanika Casimir, owner of Elizabeth Peyton Creations, an all natural skincare company.

“We know what we want,” Casimir said. “We know what beauty stuff we want, we know what underwear stuff we want. Clothes, we know what fits us.

If you’re a skinny girl, we know how it’s gonna fit you, if you’re a bigger girl, [we know] how it’s gonna fit you. We know.”

For women like Rachel Scarborough, it’s also about showing other women entrepreneurs that they can accomplish anything in business.

“It’s hard for people to do things when they don’t see people that look like them doing it, so when you see a woman-owned business and you’re a woman you’re like ‘okay well if she can do it, I

can do it, too,’” said Scarborough, the owner of G and Rizz.

Elizabeth Wellington, owner of Mindful Presents, feels that events like this enable her to directly influence members of her family.

“I didn’t get to see my aunts do things like this, but my niece can see me do things like this,” Wellington said.

As a collective, all of the women agree their businesses and products are competing with major corporations making similar products, and in the end, that is what consumers really care about.

“We have the same quality levels, if not better. We have the same business ethics and models, if not better,” Spence said. “It brings to light that you don’t have to go to a big box store, and you don’t have to go to a large corporation to find high quality products.” robert.cruz@temple.edu

MOVING CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Tanika Casimir founded Elizabeth Peyton Creations in 2017, selling products such as plant-based skin products and linen sprays.

Hannah Brong, a sophomore at Drexel University, speaks to customers as she represents Mother Butters.

A mother looks at a necklace from one of the entrepreneur’s businesses with her daughter.

One entrepreneur embraces her baby as she connects with others at the Women Makers Market.

Two of the many products featured by Buddha Babe, a Philadelphia-based boutique for babies.

PAGE 14

FEATURES

The Temple News

CAMPUS

Undergrad student workers aim to form a union A new organization hopes to bargain for better wages and working conditions for students.

BY DUAY AUGUSTINE AND GIANNA VOGES For The Temple News

F

or six weeks, the Temple University Undergraduate Workers Organizing Committee collaborated with the Temple University Graduate Students’ Association to raise undergraduate awareness of its 42-day strike, which ended on March 13. In doing so, they also realized the level of solidarity among workers at Temple.

“It shows us that we are not alone, that oftentimes the problems that affect us in our workplace are not just us,” said Josh Palackal, a junior psychology major and member of TUUWOC. TUUWOC formed in SeptemADVERTISEMENT

ber 2022 and is seeking recognition as a union to bargain for an improved contract for Temple’s undergraduate workers. The organization, which currently represents nearly 125 student workers, hopes to achieve an increase to a $15 minimum wage for all student workers and improved benefits, including overtime pay. TUUWOC members were able to spread their message during TUGSA’s recent strike by speaking at rallies and making signs for the protests.

“We were able to increase our social media following by over 300 percent in about two or so weeks,” Palackal said.

“From there, we got a bunch of union cards signed, compared to this semester we’ve gotten, I want to say, around 350 percent more signatures than we got last semester.”

TUUWOC must have at least 30 percent of Temple’s approximately 3,900

student workers sign a union card in order to be formally recognized as a union.

The committee would then petition to Pennsylvania’s Labor Relations Board for approval.

Alternatively, 30 percent of workers within a department could sign a union card and the organization could unionize by department, Palackal said.

Unionization would help students like Halle Howard, a junior history major and member of TUUWOC, feel represented.

“We don’t have any form of representation in terms of a union, and that doesn’t bode well for our working conditions,” Howard said.

To achieve the goal of unionizing, TUUWOC members are focusing on getting their message out by posting fliers around campus and hosting information sessions.

“A lot of it just comes down to communication, letting people know that unionizing is legal and possible,” Howard said.

Once unionized, TUUWOC has a five-point union platform bargaining for health insurance subsidies, a simpler health insurance application process.

The plan also advocates for transparent hiring, payment and wages processes in addition to the $15 hourly minimum wage and overtime pay.

TUUWOC’s was formed after Ignacio Vasconsellos, an organizer in the committee, saw an increase of undergraduate student unions across the country.

“The fact that undergraduate workers are uniting across the country, it made it seem possible and made it seem like we could do it,” said Vasconsellos, a senior history and Latin American studies double major.

In 2021, the National Labor Relations Board withdrew a rule proposed in September 2019 by the Trump administration that stipulated students working for their university could not be consid-

ered employees.

These reforms have allowed for an increase in union formation in recent years, especially in the academic sector.

Labor unions have been created on the campuses of many universities, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Graduate Student Union, which formed in April 2022.

Undergraduate unions have also caught on, with undergraduate students at institutions such as Dartmouth College and Grinnell College planning to unionize, NPR reported.

Philadelphia has a rich history of unions. The first recorded strike and union both occurred in the city, which Vasconsellos feels has aided TUUWOC’s cause.

“It does help that Philly is a union town, that there’s a long history of union organizing in Pennsylvania in general and that people are more willing to stick their neck out when they know that they are a part of history, that they are part of a place’s culture,” Vasconsellos said.

It was necessary for students like Palackal to join TUUWOC because of the low wages and limited benefits Temple offers its student workers.

“Some of us make as little as $7.25 an hour which is the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, which is frankly just unethical,” Palackal said.

Vasconsellos hopes that TUUWOC’s efforts create long-lasting change at Temple.

“I would like to see the university become a better place for undergraduate students in general, but for workers also specifically so that they can get the health care that they need, so that they can get decent wages and a dignified workplace and so that they aren’t paid basically in exposure with a line on their resume that says that they had worked for Temple University,” Vasconsellos said. duay.augustine@temple.edu gianna.voges@temple.edu

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 15

CAMPUS

Students anticipate new bagel shop near campus

Students are excited for the opening of Bagels and Co. but await Bagel Hut’s return.

BY SOFIA KASBO Features Staff Writer With a wide variety of bagel options on Temple’s Main Campus, the battle of the bagels will determine which storefronts carry the fan favorite. Bagels and Co. will be the newest bagel shop this summer, ready to serve Temple students with their homemade bagels and different cream cheese flavors.

Bagels and Co.’s first college campus storefront is under construction and located at 1431 Cecil B. Moore Ave., as a restaurant under Glu Hospitality, a hospitality group that operates various venues within the city, including the planned Peabody restaurant set to open next door. Bagels and Co. offers in-store dining, online ordering services and catering.

When junior advertising major, Lily Smith walks past Bagel Hut on her way to class, she reminisces about the times when Bagel Hut, located on Montgomery Avenue near Liacouras Walk, was once packed with students.

Today, Smith looks forward to campus having another bagel joint for people to congregate around, she said.

“I’ll definitely stop by [Bagels and Co.] because like I said, it’s on my way to campus and I think it’s in, it’s on a lot of people’s way to campus,” Smith said.

“And hopefully it’ll just be a good little spot to grab a nice breakfast sandwich.

And then it’ll be cheap and the people in there will be cool.”

Students are excited for Bagels and Co.’s anticipated opening this summer due to Bagel Hut’s closure for construction last August. However, some are hesitant to replace the legacy of Bagel Hut. “I don’t know if it could really replace Bagel Hut because Bagel Hut was kind of like its own little thing and had a very special vibe and a sense of com-

CHARLOTTE SAUNDERS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Bagels and Co. will open this summer as students continue to grapple with the loss of Bagel Hut.

munity,” Smith said. “People were very loyal to Bagel Hut and so I don’t think it will truly replace what Bagel Hut is but it definitely could be people’s next stop.”

Students are able to find other bagels at restaurants on campus like Bagel Shop, Saxbys, Old Nelson Food Company, Richies or some breakfast serving food trucks.

Bagel Hut was expected to open after winter break for the Spring 2023 semester. However, the store has remained closed due to construction for a nearby running water and sewage line.

“We are still waiting that construction to be completed along with our new Bagel Hut sign and unfortunately we do not have a set stone date to be back to serve to Temple University community again,” wrote a Bagel Hut team member in an email to The Temple News.

Other than the food, bagels and coffee that Bagel Hut serves, their employees have always been nice and extremely welcoming, Smith said.

Some students like Suubi Nakaddu remain on a hunt to find a bagel in Philadelphia that reminds them of their

hometowns.

“I’ve always wanted to try [Bagel Hut], but it’s always closed and it’s never really like a good and solid option for me,”said Nakaddu, a freshman information science and technology major. “So [Bagels and Co.] would definitely be like, a good option for me, especially from New Jersey like, I guess I always eat bagels.”

Bagels and Co. plans to sell traditional New York-style water bagels and stand out from other bagel shops in Philadelphia with their variety of 30 cream cheese flavors, said Derek Gibbons, the chief operating officer and partner of Glu Hospitality.

“One of our business strategies is that bagel shops will do very well on college campuses,” Gibbons said. “Obviously, you have that large audience of students who are always up early for class, faculty, what have you. So, I think our strategy overall is to be on college campuses and metro areas.”

Convenience, good customer service and organization are traits that will allow Bagels and Co. to have success, Na-

kaddu said. “[Bagels and Co. is] a place that’s all about community and that’s why we’re able to open so many of them in Philly because it’s not something you’re gonna travel 20 minutes to, it’s about convenience and consistency,” Gibbons said.

Providing students, faculty, staff and Philadelphia community members with proper customer service is also a lesson that the Bagels and Co. staff plans on teaching Temple students.

Bagels and Co. is currently working with Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management to potentially offer internships or job opportunities, instructing students how to run a fast and casual business concept.

It is their goal to educate the future of the hospitality workers and shape them into leaders, Gibbons said.

“I think we’re gonna be very busy in that location,” Gibbons said. “And I think The Peabody will do very well. So I just, I’m excited to get it open and then deliver it to you guys.” sofia.kasbo@temple.edu

PAGE 16

FEATURES

The Temple News

CAMPUS

Temple Esports gains access to gaming facility The club’s new partnership aims to provide them with a better gaming experience.

BY DUAY AUGUSTINE AND SOFIA KASBO For The Temple News

T

emple Esports’ recent collaboration with Nerd Street Gamers has established the club as a prominent name in Esports across the country by providing them with a professional-grade training location.

“I mean, that partnership with Nerd Street/Localhost puts Temple University on the map for Esports,” said Michael Martin III, senior finance major and president of Temple Esports. “This partnership will give Temple University the biggest collegiate Esports facilities on the east coast and possibly the whole country.”

Temple Esports is a student-run organization with nearly 150 active members consisting of teams that compete in games like Valorant, Apex Legends and League of Legends. On March 15, Nerd Street, a national network of esports events and facilities, announced a collaboration with Temple Esports that will provide the club access to Localhost Philadelphia’s venue, located at Broad Street near Callowhill, at a reduced cost as well as the ability to host events in the space.

Temple Esports welcomes students of all different skill levels and has different teams for each game according to the member’s skill levels.

Temple Esports is made up of different teams with junior and varsity levels including Rocket League, Call of Duty, Overwatch and many more.

“It’s very diverse in the sense that each and every person may have a different game they came in mind to, some more competitive, some more casual,” said Masina Garonzik, a junior advertising major and public relations manager for Temple Esports.

Prior to their collaboration with Nerd Street, Temple Esports utilized

SOFIA KASBO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Prior to their collaboration with Nerd Street, Temple Esports utilized a space donated to them in Gladfelter Hall, which has 12 PCs.

a space donated to them by Aim Lab, a video game training company, in Gladfelter Hall founded by 2012 psychology alumnus, which has 12 PCs. This space was not as effective for the club because Gladfelter Hall closes at 9 p.m., and most matches run past the building’s closure.

“Your games begin at eight o’clock and they can go on up to two to three hours long, so our players only use that space to scrim and practice and maybe watch a couple like reviews, but they could not actually play the match together in that space because of that time limitation,” said Martin, a senior finance major.

Access to an in-person facility helps members of the team connect with each other socially, as they have been practicing and communicating virtually. Most players practice at least three times per week to prepare for the matches they normally have on Fridays.

The team is improving the more they are able to collaborate in person with their new practice space, Martin said.

“It’s like any, any sport, like you want

to have that team bonding moment, you want to be able to put the faces on who your teammates are whether it’s see their emotions, how they react, how they take in information, so you can, it’s all about team building and team chemistry, because it’s like the old saying, ‘There’s no I in team,’” Martin said.

Robert Dehart, a freshman sport and recreation management major, is spending his first year with Temple Esports as a member of the varsity Valorant team.

The Valorant team found success as the 2022 NECC Challenger Nationals White Division undefeated champions and continue to work hard towards more wins in the future. “[Nerd Street] allows us an opportunity to play as a team on weekends and to compete together in a space where we’re comfortable, and it’ll help us win more games,” Dehart said.

Temple Esports has collaborated with other organizations in the past, like Monster Energy, the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management and Aim Lab to provide Esports students with scholarship opportunities

and to gain additional club funding and resources.

The club hopes to gain sponsorship from the university to provide them with access to resources other collegiate Esports teams have.

“If we get university sponsorship, there’s a high likelihood that we could get coaches involved,” Garonzik said.

“Coaches from other universities are usually on a full time employment level, they are for their team like any other team to help them win games, teach them new things, and all those other aspects and we just don’t have the finances at this current moment to hire such an individual.” duay.augustine@temple.edu sofia.kasbo@temple.edu

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PAGE 19

PAGE 20

SPORTS

The Temple News

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Owls enter the portal after head coach steps down Six Temple players have entered the transfer portal, but some might return to North Philly.

BY JAVON EDMONDS Assistant Sports Editor Aaron McKie, one of Temple’s greatest players and former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, stepped down as Temple’s head coach last week after four years at the helm.

As has become the norm in today’s collegiate athletics landscape, several Temple players have entered the transfer portal. Some could announce their entries at a later date. All players, except Khalif Battle, indicated they will talk to Temple’s new coaching staff before making a decision.

Below is an update on where each player stands: KHALIF BATTLE Battle’s history at Temple will be remembered as a complicated one. The former four-star recruit from Trenton Catholic Academy in New Jersey chose Butler over several schools including Temple – a decision that didn’t work out for him.

He struggled to find a role with the Bulldogs as a true freshman, averaging three points and 11 minutes played per game.

Battle then transferred to Temple and immediately became an all-American Athletic Conference player. In his three years with the Owls, he averaged 18.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and shot 38.6 percent from three.

The 2022 preseason all-conference guard left the program after the Owls’ Feb. 16 loss to Wichita State. The game included Battle and McKie’s second public disagreement of the season, and Battle never returned to the team.

When on the floor, Battle was Temple’s most talented scorer. However, he wasn’t always easy to manage and ultimately altered the Owls’ “tournament-or-bust” season for the worst.

Considering Battle’s initial reasoning for committing to Temple, the fall-

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Khalif Battle, Damian Dunn, Nick Jourdain, Zach Hicks, Jamille Reynolds and Hysier Miller have each entered the transfer portal.

out between him and McKie is shocking.

“When I found out that coach Aaron McKie got the head coaching job, it was basically a no-brainer,” Battle said.

“I’m comfortable with him and he’s been a pro for a long time, so he knows what it’s like to be at the NBA level. That’s the ultimate goal.”

The New Jersey native has already generated significant interest in the portal, including from Big 5 rival Villanova and AAC rivals Memphis and Central Florida. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

DAMIAN DUNN Like Battle, Dunn enters the portal as a four-year player with two years of eligibility remaining.

Dunn has been the Owls’ leading scorer in their games without Battle for the last three seasons, and entered Tem-

ple’s 1,000-points club in the Owls’ Feb. 22 overtime loss at Cincinnati.

He is the only Owl to receive conference honors in each of the last three years. Dunn was a third-team AllAAC selection this year, a second-team All-AAC selection last season and an all-freshman team selection in 2020-21.

The guard was McKie’s first recruit as a head coach and became a father in December. Combining those factors with the Power Five interest that he’s gained since last year, the third-team All-AAC guard is most likely out.

In high school, Dunn played for Stackhouse Elite, the AAU program run by former NBA All-Star and current Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse.

Dunn and Stackhouse are both from Kinston, North Carolina, and attended Kinston High School before transferring out of state for their senior sea-

sons. Stackhouse transferred to Oak Hill in Virginia, and Dunn transferred to Meadowcreek High School in Georgia.

While in Georgia, he joined Stackhouse Elite, which was located in nearby Atlanta and played on the Adidas circuit.

With Stackhouse still at the helm and the Commodores being on the brink of making the 2023 NCAA Tournament, fans can expect Vanderbilt to be interested in Dunn if he meets the school’s rigorous academic requirements.

NICK JOURDAIN Jourdain projects as an athletic, rim-protecting center in a slightly less-competitive conference, similar to Jake Forrester transferring to Saint Louis at the end of last season.

He embraced the role of Temple’s small-ball center last season, carving out significant minutes for himself.

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 21

MEN’S BASKETBALL RECRUITS West Catholic Preparatory High School forward Zion Stanford is Temple’s only incoming freshman for the 2023 class. Stanford has already signed his National Letter of Intent and, according to his head coach Miguel Bocachica, will decide if he wants to be released after Temple hires a new coach.

His teammate, 2023 point guard Adam “Budd” Clark, has also reopened his recruitment. Clark was committed to Coppin State, but decommitted after the Eagles fired head coach Juan Dixon.

If Stanford remains committed, Temple’s new head coach could pursue Clark as a package deal.

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Aaron Mckie stepped down from his position as Temple Men Basketball’s head coach on March 13.

Battle and Jourdain were AAU teammates on the New Jersey Playaz, and Battle made Temple’s staff aware of Jourdain after joining the program.

Although returning to Temple remains an option for Jourdain, a new staff, the chance at a bigger role elsewhere and the departure of Battle make his chances of returning to Temple slim.

ZACH HICKS Hicks’ shooting, rebounding and size has intrigued enough Power Five schools to think he most likely won’t be back at The Liacouras Center in 202324.

The sophomore shot 35.6 percent from three this season, and set Temple’s single-game record for threes made in a game with 10 against Delaware State in 2021-22.

In his two years at Temple, Hicks

averaged 8.95 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in his career, and shoots 36.3 percent from three.

The Hicks family has already met with DePaul, and has arranged meetings with Syracuse and Texas-El Paso.

Jamille Reynolds Reynolds transferred from UCF to Temple as a sophomore and was dubbed “a generational talent” by third-team AllAAC guard Damian Dunn.

The big man was the first post-scoring threat that McKie was able to recruit, averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game in 60 percent shooting.

Because he transferred last season, Reynolds would be required to miss a season if he transferred again without receiving a waiver from the NCAA. Considering how teammate Taj Thweatt couldn’t obtain a transfer waiver this season, and how Reynolds would

be on his third team in three years, returning to Temple isn’t completely off the table.

HYSIER MILLER After Reynolds, Miller is the most likely of the current portal entries to return to Temple. The South Philly native averaged 8.6 points on 36.9 percent from the field this season, and didn’t compensate for the poor shooting with playmaking as he averaged just 3.75 assists per game.

With his 6’1” frame and lack of athleticism, it’s hard to imagine Miller transferring up to higher-caliber programs.

Miller will be visiting conference rival Southern Methodist, which pays each of its basketball players $35,000, this weekend. The guard has also received major interest from Fordham.

RETURNING PLAYERS Point guard Deuce Roberts will be redshirted and have four years of eligibility remaining as he didn’t play during the 2022-23 season.

Roberts didn’t have any Division I offers aside from Temple. However, it is possible that he transfers to a junior college to earn more.

The 2022 newcomers Shane Dezonie and Taj Thweatt would also be two-time transfers if they entered the portal, meaning they’ll likely return to avoid being forced to sit out next season.

Thweatt’s best friend and high school teammate at Wildwood Catholic Academy in New Jersey, sophomore forward Jahlil White, has not entered the portal. He was the key piece in Temple both recruiting and landing Thweatt. It doesn’t appear likely that he will leave the program.

Sophomore center Emmanuel Okpomo would be a two-time transfer, meaning he’d need a waiver like Reynolds. However, if Reynolds’ transfer is approved, Okpomo would have the inside track to being Temple’s starting center in 2023-24.

Freshman guard AK Fihla was a preferred walk-on from the NBA Academy in South Africa, and could earn a scholarship under Temple’s new staff. javon.edmonds@temple.edu @javonedmonds45

PAGE 22

SPORTS

The Temple News

TRACK AND FIELD

Temple runners transition to spring track season Women’s Cross Country switched their training for the upcoming track seasons.

BY CHRIS DUONG Sports Social Media Manager When Temple runner Laura Nicholson rounded the final bend at the 2022 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, in University Park, Pennsylvania, the senior knew she needed to transition to winter track in just two weeks.

After the fall cross country season, all nine runners on the Temple Women’s Cross Country team shifted their focus to track. The runners are advised to rest for 14 days after running almost daily since June, but with a mid-November finish to the cross country season, they were quickly ushered into winter track training.

“For cross country, it’s all about building a base and the longer kind of runs,” said cross country assistant coach Charlotte Imer. “The duration of the runs are increased and the intensity during preseason isn’t too high. However, the frequency is high because they are running everyday, which is more volume compared to track.”

Although many people believe cross country and track are very similar, they’re two completely different sports.

Track training focuses on enhancing quick-twitch muscles throughout the body while cross country focuses more on building stamina, mainly because of the difference in distances between the two sports. While cross country consists of a six-kilometer run, track typically includes shorter races, creating different mental approaches.

“The first couple of seconds or a couple 100 meters of the [cross country] race don’t really matter that much because the race is so long,” Nicholson said.

“I like to take the attitude ‘It’s not over until it’s over,’ because you have to keep working the whole way through because it’s about 20 minutes of running. You just need to try and keep moving forward the whole time and keep picking off bodies.”

The cross country team runs longer intervals nearly every day with short 45

TEMPLE ATHLETICS / COURTESY

to 90 seconds of rest in between reps.

Track runners do not run every day, but when they do, the training consists of high intensity workouts with longer breaks in between.

“We just need to make sure we do it safely because once you start bringing the intensity up, the chances for injury and stuff increase,” Imer said. “Also, changing from soft surfaces to hard surfaces and running in spikes versus shoes in cross country.”

Both teams lift twice weekly during their respective seasons, following strength and conditioning coach Kristen Cole’s professional program. On the first day, the team focuses on using resistance bands and higher weights with less reps; the second day consists of less weight and higher reps.

Freshman Elvira Bredin ran track last summer and needed to shift to running cross country when she arrived at Temple in August. The change drastically impacted her cardio and stamina levels.

“So I came from track season to cross country season here in the fall,” said Bredin, who is from Sweden. “I just started to run longer intervals and started to run more and I started to be able to run for a longer time than I did in the summer.”

Whether the athletes are competing in cross country or track season, their training in each sport helps them become better runners.

Nicholson and Bredin finished third and eighth in the Women’s 1 Mile Run at the AAC Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, last winter track season.

The season as a whole took place from Dec. 3 to Feb. 25.

While the athletes may be pivoting between sports, they’ll need to concentrate on the physical adaptations required to succeed. The different training methods help the athletes improve their overall running ability.

“They’re really complementary to each other,” Imer said. “But, they need to be treated as different sports in a way because going from a 6000 meter race versus an 800 is working with very different energy systems.”

The Temple Track and Field outdoor season begins on Thursday at the Raleigh Relays in North Carolina. christopher.duong0001@temple.edu @duongest

The Temple News

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Temple shows resilience in unprecedented season Women’s Basketball finished na Gary and forward Rayne Tucker.

Guards Kourtney Wilson and Jalynn and I feel like that’s something that we their season 11-18 after multiple Nelson and Gary fit right in as Tem- Holmes left the program prior to the need to do better.” depatures and injuries. ple’s constant mainstays in the rotation. Owls’ Jan. 25 win at Tulane, and guards Richardson’s first season as the Owls’

BY LIAM GIANNELLI For The Temple News Temple Women’s Basketball (11-18, 6-10 American Athletic Conference) did not have the season it was looking for.

The Owls went on two and three-game losing streaks and a six-game drought this season, ultimately resulting in a first-round conference tournament exit.

With a new coach, injuries, an unapproved transfer and unexpected departures in the middle of the season, Temple is ready to move on.

“It was definitely a learning process,” said head coach Diane Richardson. “We had a lot of ups and downs, and quite frankly, I’m glad it’s over. I’m planning on next season already.”

When Temple hired former Towson coach Diane Richardson last April, she did brought three former players with her: guards Aleah Nelson and Tarriyon-

CONTINUED FROM 24 GYMNASTICS “If you took a picture of Brooke during any one of her events, it could be a poster,” Nilson said. “Perfect hands, perfect feet; the very definition of our sport. When I saw her gymnastics, I knew she could help me change the reputation of this program.”

In 2018, Donabedian traveled to Philadelphia with her family to have lunch with Nilson at the now-closed Draught Horse Pub and Grill. Although Nilson was a few minutes late, Donabedian was sold on his goals for the program; she committed later that year.

Donabedian saw that Nilson wanted his program to have a type of flair and camaraderie, two things she was capable of bringing. “[Nilson] talks about how competitive he is all the time,” Donabedian

Nelson, a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association player in 2022, made third-team All-AAC this year.

In her first season at Temple, Nelson was the Owls’ offensive focal point and served as the team’s top vocal leader.

Nelson earned second-team AllAAC honors, leading the team in points per game with 15.4 and assists averaging 4.4 assists per game. The guard also encouraged her team to finish strong regardless of the score in contests this past season.

Tucker was ineligible to play this season as her transfer wasn’t approved by the NCAA. The Owls were also without the services of 2022 first-team All-Northeast Conference guard Kendall Currence this year as she tore her ACL in the preseason.

With those two already down for the count, Temple’s four additional departures left the Owls with just eight available players for their final 10 games.

Jasha Clinton and Aniya Gourdine were suspended.

Two days later, Clinton and Gourdine were dismissed from the program.

“We were prepared for the typical transition year,” Richardson said. “But to lose players was a little bit different …

Those eight players stepped up and did more than we asked them to do.”

The team adapted well at first, winning three-straight games against Tulane, Central Florida and Wichita State.

However, fatigue eventually got the best of Temple, leading to the team’s sixgame losing streak in February.

During the winless streak, sophomore forward Caranda Perea acknowledged Richardson’s sentiments on how the team could clean up its mistakes.

“I think Coach said it best, just being focused,” Perea said. “Doing the little things that we need to do like talking, rebounding, playing defense, because you can’t control if the shots are going to fall. You control your effort every night

head coach battle-tested her team. The Owls played the 65th-toughest schedule in the country and faced six teams each from the NCAA Tournament and NIT fields.

Richardson wants to continue beginning seasons against tougher opponents as Temple will play at least four teams from the 2023 NCAA Tournament field in Villanova, Mississippi, East Carolina and South Florida. Richardson also announced non-conference matchups with Arizona State and Northwestern.

“We’ll play some teams out there to kind of get us tough again,” Richardson said. “This year, we’ll have more personnel to be able to finish it out.”

said. “It really shows his motivation and drive. He wants and needs to build Temple gymnastics. There was a fire in his voice, and I loved it.”

During her official visit to Temple the following summer, Donabedian met Renee Schugman, another incoming freshman and her future roommate.

Schugman was also a recruit whose artistry earned her a spot in the program.

Similar to Nilson, Schugman knew immediately that Donabedian would be a key part of the team as soon as they practiced together.

“She’s always very confident,” Schugman said. “But when she’s performing, it’s like you’re watching a show. Everything she does is so perfect and precise.

It’s so impressive.”

Three years later, Donabedian became an important part of the team.

She qualified for NCAA Regionals last season, earned her second-straight first-

team all-EAGL nomination on the floor, and was also named second-team all-EAGL on the beam this season.

She leads the Owls with seven event wins this season with five on the floor and two on the beam. On March 5, she tied her own school record for an individual score on the floor, receiving a 9.950.

Her leadership has impacted the team as well. Despite an up-and-down season, Temple’s scores have increased throughout the year, including a 196.375 March 5 against Fisk, Ursinus and Southern Connecticut State. This was the program’s third-highest score in school history and it was possible in large part to the tight-knit program being united under one vision.

“The conversations we had are starting to come to fruition,” Nilson said. “[Donabedian] is having the success she deserves in college. She’s doing exactly

what we wanted, and it’s working.”

As Temple prepared for the EAGL Conference Tournament, which began on March 18, Donabedian’s success served as validation for Nilson’s revitalized vision for the program. Though Nilson admits the team is a few missing parts away from his dream for the squad, Donabedian remains optimistic.

Now, Donabedian is on the way to Pittsburgh from March 30 through April 2 as a floor exercise competitor at the NCAA Regionals. She views her team’s success as a sign of the future, and, hopefully, a return to contention both in the EAGL and nationally.

“We had great performances,” Donabedian said. “We broke records last year, and we’re still breaking records this year. I think that will be a trend for years to come.”

liam.giannelli@temple.edu @liamgiannelli30

declan.landis@temple.edu @declanlandis

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SPORTS

ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Brooke Donabedian leads the Owls with seven event wins this season, five coming on the floor and two on the beam.

The Temple News

DONABEDIAN LEADS NEW ERA

Brooke Donabedian’s artistry and leadership has become a part of Nilson’s culture shift for Temple Gymnastics.

BY DECLAN LANDIS For The Temple News

T

emple gymnast Brooke Donabedian’s passion for the sport has produced results during the past two seasons. The beam and floor specialist qualified for her second straight NCAA Regionals on March 20, a big accomplishment for a competitor who is only a junior.

However, she is solidifying her legacy within Temple Gymnastics in more ways than one.

Although Temple Gymnastics’ social media show “TUG Talk” almost ended after one season when former student,

team member and assistant coach Jackie Terpak left the team, Donabedian had a plan to keep the series alive.

“I think it’s important for the girls to have their voices heard,” said Donabedian, who is also the host. “Typically, we pick people who performed best the week before the show, and I thought it was really important for each girl to have the platform to be heard.”

Donabedian’s excitement for the show is just one example of how she factors into head coach Josh Nilson’s vision for Temple gymnastics. Her success

this season, including leading the team in event wins and tying multiple school records, marks the beginning of a cultural shift for the program and could be a small sample of the Owls’ future under Nilson.

When Nilson became Temple’s head coach in July 2018, he had a specific vision for the Owls.

Nilson wanted to flip the program on its head, emphasizing the artistry of gymnastics rather than the power, which is an increasingly prevalent mindset in modern gymnastics. He also wanted the

team to act as a family with gymnasts bringing the best out of one another.

The shift in identity pushed Nilson toward recruiting Donabedian. Nilson recognized Donabedian’s talent and finesse after watching one of her highlight videos, which she attributes to her experience with ballet, hip-hop dance and soccer, and he felt she could help bring his vision to life at Temple.

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