3.25 FINAL PRINT

THE TEMPLE NEWS

PHILLY BAR TOUR The Temple News’ 2025 Bar Guide is your tool for navigating the city’s best spots to drink.

Read more on Pages 19-28.

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS, Page 4 Two candidates for Temple Student Government face off in a debate Monday.

SPORTS, Page 29 What to expect from Temple Football’s defense under new leadership in 2025.

VOL 103 // ISSUE 13 TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2025

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

PAGE 2

The Temple News

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

Samuel O’Neal Editor-in-Chief Sidney Rochnik Managing Editor Claire Zeffer Managing Editor Anna Augustine Co-Chief Copy Editor Valeria Uribe Co-Chief Copy Editor Evelyn Blower News Editor Nurbanu Sahin Assistant News Editor Kylie Sokoloff Assistant News Editor McCaillaigh Rouse Opinion Editor Bradley McEntee Assistant Opinion Editor Bayleh Alexander Features Editor Mike Nonnemaker Assistant Features Editor Jadon George Features Staff Writer Ryan Mack Sports Editor Colin Schofield Assistant Sports Editor Sienna Conaghan Assistant Sports Editor Leah Duffy Investigative Reporter Kennedy Brown Investigative Reporter Julia Anderson Director of Audience Engagement Oliver Economidis Public Engagement Coordinator Isabella Farrow Audience Engagement Editor Rai Ganesan Audience Engagement Editor Jack Larson Co-Photo Editor Jared Tatz Co-Photo Editor Noel Chacko Staff Photographer Kajsa Morse Multimedia Editor Ava Campbell Assistant Multimedia Editor Lyndsey Griswold Print Design Editor Juan Colon Graphic Design Editor Ava Fitzgerald Data Editor Pablo Rouco Podcast Editor Cara Kishter Newsletter Editor Nadia Bodnari Web Editor Lolade Kola-Adewuyi Advertising Manager Matthew Eaton Advertising Manager Daivik Bewtra Business Manager

Follow us @TheTempleNews

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

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

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

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

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

ON THE COVER Franky Bradley’s in Center City on March 23.

SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

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

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

Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Samuel O’Neal at editor@temple-news.com.

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 3

PUBLIC SAFETY

Temple, Philly work on campus safety initiatives Temple and Philadelphia are updating traffic measures to mitigate crashes.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor

W

ith more than 30% of Temple’s undergraduate student body walking or biking to campus daily, both university and local organizations have launched programs and proposals aimed to improve traffic safety in and around Main Campus.

Mayor Cherelle Parker signed a bill to authorize a bicycle lane on North 13th Street from Cecil B. Moore Avenue to Diamond Street on March 19. The bill was sponsored by Councilmember Jeffrey Young, the councilmember representing Temple’s district in City Hall.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced an initiative to install speeding violation cameras along Broad Street and near campus in November.

Although PPA estimated its release in February, the cameras are not yet active.

Three cameras will be installed near Temple’s Main and Health Sciences campuses, at Broad near Cumberland Street, Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Fairmount Avenue.

“The system has been approved by the state and each location is now going through the permitting process,” wrote a PPA spokesperson in an email to The Temple News. “Once all permits are approved, installation can begin. We anticipate the cameras to be activated sometime this summer.”

Vision Zero, a City of Philadelphia program working to eliminate traffic deaths completely, spearheads multiple initiatives for public safety including the bicycle lane bill and PPA’s speed cameras.

“City Council and I are proud to support traffic safety initiatives like bike lanes because students and residents alike deserve to get around Temple’s busy campus safely, whether they’re walking, biking or driving,” wrote Councilmember-at-large Isaiah Thomas in a statement to The Temple News.

Several streets around campus are identified as part of the High Injury Network — the 12% of Philadelphia streets where about 80% of traffic deaths and injuries occur. Broad, Diamond, Norris, North 16th, 12th and 11th streets as well as Montgomery Avenue are part of the network in the immediate campus area, according to Vision Zero.

“One of the things we frequently see is these crashes, it’s not just speeding or a red light, but also a pedestrian wasn’t looking or is distracted,” said Jennifer Griffin, vice president for public safety, in an interview with The Temple News in November 2024. “We continue to do awareness and arrange events when we talk about safety, making sure you’re really paying attention when you get to the cross section.”

Allied Security personnel or Temple police officers station at popular pedestrian intersections to facilitate traffic in between class periods and other busy times. Intersections like North 13th Street near Montgomery Avenue, outside the Howard Gittis Student Center and on Polett Walk near 12th Street near the Bell Tower will typically feature officers stopping cars to let pedestrians pass.

An estimated 29% of the university walked to campus in 2022, a four percent increase since 2019. And the number of biking commuters reduced by two percent in the same period, from five to three percent, according to the Office of Sustainability’s 2023-24 annual report.

Thirty-one percent of the community uses a car to get to campus and 16% take the subway, according to the report.

With a quarter of students walking to campus daily, some students voice concerns about lighting around popular off-campus housing areas.

“A lot of people live on that side between 18th and 15th Street,” said Gabriel Cesare, a junior international business major. “I feel like those streets should be much more well illuminated versus how much illumination there is on the actual campus. If you want to cater towards people being safer, I feel like that’s a good step to begin with.”

While most of the streets are welllit between Broad Street and 18th Street,

JEREMY SHOVER / THE TEMPLE NEWS Vision Zero aims to completely eliminate traffic deaths through initiatives like the bicycle lane bill and speed cameras.

proper street lighting may be uncommon on side streets such as Bouvier, Gratz, Carlisle and Willington Streets.

Temple encourages students to rent from off-campus properties that are part of the Best Nest program, a standard that requires the property to have adequate outdoor lighting.

Vision Zero’s program to assist with traffic safety culminates in an annual report that diagnoses the top issues Philadelphia aims to address. The 2024 report shows that Philadelphia has around eight deaths per 100,000 residents, higher than many other cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and New York City.

In January 2023, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a motorist on Beasley’s Walk near Broad Street.

Temple added a speed bump at the intersection after the incident, The Temple News reported. In June 2024, a 20-yearold Temple student was hit by a car at Broad Street near Fairmount Avenue, and later died of his injuries that eve-

ning, CBS reported.

“Temple doesn’t need to change everything overnight,” Cesare said. “But if they show they care about how we move around campus, that’s what matters most.”

Dharav Kakkad contributed reporting. evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

PAGE 4

NEWS

The Temple News

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Temple Tomorrow, TUnited debate pre-election Presidential candidates discussed their policies on key issues in a debate on Monday.

BY KYLIE SOKOLOFF Assistant News Editor Temple students and faculty gathered in the Howard Gittis Student Center on March 24 for a debate between Temple Student Government’s 202526 candidates, where they shared their stances on key campus issues. The debate was also live streamed by The Temple News.

This year’s debate featured two campaigns: Temple Tomorrow, led by Lourdes Cardamone, a junior political science and criminal justice major and Janeese Hochstetler, a junior advertising major, and TUnited, led by Yaam Malka, a sophomore psychology and political science major, and William Walker, a junior political science and secondary education major.

Cardamone and Malka acted as their parties’ spokespersons during the debate.

The hour-long discourse was moderated

by The Temple News’ News Editor Evelyn Blower. TSG will hold its election on March 26-27 online, and results will be announced March 28.

Here are the key issues tackled by both campaigns during the debate.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Both campaigns have previously aligned themselves with political parties: Cardamone serves as president of Temple Democrats, while vice presidential candidate Walker has served as president of Temple Republicans. The candidates were asked how they plan to lead in a nonpartisan manner despite their affiliations.

Cardamone pointed to TSG’s system of checks and balances.

“I think overcoming nonpartisanship is something I try to do every day,” Cardamone said, “This is a non-political position. Obviously I’m passionate in my own life about Temple Dems, but I’ve

been involved with TSG and I’ve never been able to insert my political position.

This is bigger than that.”

Malka stressed collaboration within her ticket.

“I myself am a Democrat, but I am running alongside a Republican,” Malka said. “We work together to ensure TSG stays nonpartisan, as is written in its constitution. Neither of us compromise on our morals, but by creating a system of checks and balances in our own cabinet, we are able to focus on what’s best for students.”

CAMPUS SAFETY Since both campaigns prioritize improved public safety, the candidates were asked how they planned to differentiate their policies.

Malka cited a negative personal experience with Temple’s Code Blue emergency system and advocated for its maintenance and accessibility. She also proposed adding the Temple University Police Department’s number to students’ individual OwlCards.

Later in the debate, Cardamone praised the proposal as something Temple Tomorrow could adopt if elected.

She emphasized the importance of making existing safety resources more accessible.

She also proposed a reworking of Temple’s FLIGHT shuttle system, citing negative student opinion of the service’s success gathered from canvassing.

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT Both campaigns acknowledged the benefits and disruptions to both students and the surrounding community in regards to recent construction developments.

Malka cited the ongoing construction of Paley Hall as disruptive, and promoted the strengthening of relations with the administration through TSG and utilizing their voice on the Board of Trustees to convey its impact on students.

“We want to advocate for the com-

JARED TATZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Presidential candidates from Temple Tomorrow and TUnited debated Monday in the Howard Gittis Student Center.

munity to be involved in creating policy, and to work with administration and to have a voice in these matters,” Malka said.

Cardamone broadened the context of development to the surrounding North Broad community and emphasized steps students can take to better their community rather than halting construction, like the Community Service Coalition and the Philly Natives Committee.

“We’re only here for four years, and we have to think about how this affects our surrounding community as well,” Cardamone said.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Both campaigns highlighted increasing student engagement with TSG as a priority. Malka attributed the current lack of engagement to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

TUnited proposed the creation of a TSG-funded five-day cultural fair, similar to TempleFest, to foster dialogue among different campus communities.

Malka also reiterated her commitment to reinstating a student senate, which was dissolved after the 2021-22 academic year.

“Opening our student government to more student involvement and enabling them to have a voice, that’s diversity in a nutshell,” Malka said.

In a later question, Cardamone opposed reinstating the senate, arguing that existing TSG infrastructure sufficed, while Malka refrained from arguing against any of Temple Tomorrow’s policies.

Cardamone also proposed creating a communication channel between student leadership, uniting clubs and organizations to advocate for their niche interests collectively. She promoted Temple Tomorrow’s foremost policy, establishing an executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion within TSG to ensure diverse student voices are represented. kylie.sokoloff@temple.edu

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 5

CAMPUS

Peer mentorship program expands to all colleges

The collaboration with Mentor Collective will extend to all freshmen in Fall 2025.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor After receiving a grant from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, Temple will open its Mentor Collective to all incoming freshmen starting in the Fall 2025 semester. The program has been available to incoming freshmen in the College of Liberal Arts for two years.

The Mentor Collective matches upperclassmen with freshmen who share similar interests, life experience or academic background to create a first-hand peer resource. The platform aims to enhance student success and retention.

“We’re bringing in higher numbers of students who are first generation, so I think there’s a general consensus among the faculty and staff that we really need to devote more resources to helping this population of students,” said Chris Wolfgang, CLA’s assistant dean for student success. “I don’t know if it’s a pandemic effect in some cases, but there seems to be a lot of loneliness on campus, there are students who aren’t connected with one another.”

Nearly a quarter of surveyed students felt they did not have a strong support system at Temple, and 77% believe it’s hard or takes effort to meet new people on campus, according to a February 2025 poll conducted by The Temple News.

CLA received a grant from alumna Sharon Taylor in 2023 to create the partnership with the Mentor Collective. About 150 students participated that year, and 250 mentors and mentees are currently involved in the program, Wolfgang said.

The APLU announced the grant to Temple to improve student success,

JEREMY SHOVER / THE TEMPLE NEWS The Mentor Collective program aims to enhance student success and retention by matching upperclassmen with freshmen who share similar interests.

alongside five other public schools — Northern Illinois University, Stony Brook University in New York, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Pennsylvania State University at Altoona and Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

The grants are valid for three years.

Mentors and mentees meet through the Mentor Collective and can chat through its application or continue conversations in person.

“There’s a side of it that we want students to succeed – that is literally why we’re here,” said Dan Berman, vice provost for undergraduate studies. “It’s our mission to educate students and give them degrees, but we’re also working not only on the side of recruiting more students so that our finances look better, but keeping the ones we have, too”.

Wolfgang and Berman will work on expanding the program this summer and offer students the peer mentorship program either as a mentor, for primarily upperclassmen, and then mentees, who

could be any first-year student coming in.

The Mentor Collective facilitates the conversations through a post-checkin sheet that mentors fill out at the end of the meeting, reviewing their conversation and any notes going forward.

They can also flag any issues or signs of extreme stress or trouble that might need to be brought to advisors or staff.

“I think it will also just help build a stronger sense of community on Temple’s campus,” said Ashley Hawk, a senior neuroscience major and a peer mentor in CLA. “When you come to campus, you’re already connected with someone who has maybe just one interest [in common with you] but it’s someone you’re able to talk to, reach out to, and I think it will help with any loneliness or overwhelm that you get when you come to college.”

The peer mentorship program is a part of Temple’s recent push to support students before and after they en-

roll at Temple. Following the opening of the One-Stop student services center in Carnell Hall, Temple announced a partnership with Heights Philadelphia for the Future Scholars program, which mentors students from 7th grade to high school and leads to free tuition if a student decides to go to Temple when they graduate.

“I feel like this is part of [the push] too, it’s a way to connect people, and more connections are better,” Berman said. “We have so many students living on or near campus. But we have people coming from all over the city and living in all kinds of different places. Sometimes it feels a bit less like a close knit campus community than some schools do. We’re just trying to create more of a culture on campus, helping students succeed but creating community.” evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

PAGE 6

NEWS

The Temple News

LABOR

Graduate student union prepares for negotiations TUGSA surveyed membership for contract initiatives input ahead of negotiations in 2026.

BY NURBANU SAHIN Assistant News Editor The Temple University Graduate Student Association has begun preparing to negotiate for its next union contract, which expires on Feb. 15, 2026, by surveying members’ grievances and hopes for their next agreement.

TUGSA will begin negotiating with the university during the Fall 2025 semester.

The union wants to increase wages and health benefits, get rid of contract limitations on union members and allow for any raises to come directly from Temple administration, rather than lab budgets and grants.

The survey, which gathered more than 350 responses, asked members about life factors like their family sizes, economic situations and healthcare, said TUGSA President Jesús Fernández Cano.

Results showed that while members felt their last contract had many wins, there are still improvements to be made in compensation. Many union members are the sole providers for their families, Fernández Cano said.

“In our last contract, we had very big wins regarding economic stability, but from that time to now, because of inflation and other economic factors, we’re still behind on the living wage for Philadelphia,” said Carolina Bonansea, a Ph.D. candidate and organizing member for TUGSA. “We’re around $20,000 behind the living wage, which is an issue because a lot of the members of TUGSA are our only providers for our family.”

The minimum salary for union members in the 2025-2026 year is $27,000, according to the collective bargaining agreement between TUGSA and Temple. Philadelphia residents need a salary of around $48,000, before taxes, to meet the Massachusetts Institute

JACK LARSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS TUGSA prepares to negotiate increased wages and health benefits and getting rid of contract limitations on union members.

of Technology Living Wage Calculator’s standards of a liveable wage.

Economic stability is a concern as the cost of living goes up, especially for international students.

International students can’t work more than 20 hours per week, which means they have to supplement income from other jobs, borrow from family or take out loans, Bonansea said. International students also have to pay around $350 yearly in fees to the university, and some need to factor in the cost of a work visa.

The union also wants to combat the Direct Academic Benefit, a form that graduate research assistants have to sign if they want to receive benefits from the research they conduct. If they sign the form, the member cannot be a part of the collective bargaining agreement.

Union members have complained the DAB is vague and difficult to read.

Some feel the form’s language can lead people to incorrectly believe that they aren’t allowed to participate in any TUGSA activities if signed.

Under the agreement between the

university and TUGSA, the DAB is described as “(a) receipt of academic credit (i.e., semester hour credit grade, or satisfaction of a degree requirement); or (b) the use of research provided pursuant to the assistantship as a component of a master’s thesis, master’s project or doctoral dissertation, or otherwise for receipt of academic credit.”

The concept of the DAB does not exist at other universities, only at Temple, Bonansea said.

The union also hopes to address concerns about funding for raises. If a graduate student gets an increase to their compensation, the raise is budgeted from the lab itself rather than the university. “[It] creates kind of like a conflict of interest for people in those labs, because if they endorse the bargaining platform and ask for raises, then that’s taking away their own funding from their lab,” said Bram Silbert, a Ph.D. candidate and organizing member.

The union also believes it does not see enough transparency from the university. When Independence Blue Cross, Temple’s healthcare provider, recently

cut their dental benefits, the university did not inform the union. Many members realized the change when procedures like root canals were no longer covered, Silbert said.

The last time TUGSA negotiated a union contract with Temple administration was during the Spring 2023 semester, when the union went on a 42day strike after the university refused to meet their demands regarding wages, healthcare and better working conditions.

The strike ended in March 2023, after the union ratified its second tentative agreement with the university. The bargaining session was one of the most tumultuous in Temple history.

“TUGSA is a union that strikes,” Fernández Cano said. “That doesn’t mean we do it. That means that Temple has the choice. If they value our work, they value our labor, to engage in good faith discussions around the issues we bring to the table.” nurbanu@temple.edu @nurbanusahinn

The Temple News

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Vote in TSG’s election On March 26, Temple’s undergraduate student body will begin voting in the 2025-26 Temple Student Government election. The two campaigns running in this year’s election are TUnited, led by Yaam Malka and William Walker, and Temple Tomorrow, led by Lourdes Cardamone and Janeese Hochstetler.

Both campaigns announced their runs for TSG on March 12 during a Town Hall meeting, The Temple News reported. During the Town Hall, both campaigns presented their initiatives covering topics like transparency, finances and potential school policy changes.

Students can vote in the upcoming Temple Student Government election on March 26-27. Voting will open to students for two days through UVote, a website that uses student credentials to verify university enrollment. Through UVote, students are given an overview of candidates and their platforms.

Voting for student candidates who will advocate for the entirety of Temple’s student body and what best fits their needs is important. The Editorial Board urges Temple’s student body to actively participate in TSG’s 2025 election. Voting is crucial in making students’ voices heard for the changes they wish to see in the Temple community.

TSG plays an integral part in university administration relations, as those in executive positions are the primary communicators between the Board of Trustees and the student body.

They also disperse more than $100,000 from the General Activities Fund to student organizations, fraternities and sororities registered with student activities in good standing.

With TSG serving such a vital role, it’s important for students to vote for who shares their vision for the university’s future.

TUnited’s campaign platform focuses on unity, transparency and enhancing student quality of life and

safety. A key proposal is reinstating a student senate with representatives from either each class level or school.

To promote transparency, TUnited plans to publish governance documents and meeting minutes and provide clear disclosures on TSG budget allocations.

Temple Tomorrow’s platform centers on unity and expanding student access to existing university resources.

If elected, the campaign aims to enhance campus safety by refining current programs like the FLIGHT shuttle and walking escort system. They also wish to provide affordability and sustainability programs to alleviate students’ financial burdens.

Student government makes changes that students can feel the impact of. In such a large and diverse student population, the next TSG president must reflect the student body’s values and desired changes. The only way to make sure that ideal becomes a reality is to cast a vote come election time.

PAGE 7

FREELANCE FOR THE TEMPLE NEWS! Join our team either as a writer, videographer, designer or photographer using the QR code below.

PAGE 8

OPINION

The Temple News

POLITICS

Find comfort within Temple’s queer community A student argues for students to engage with campus community amid political tension.

BY CAELAN O’NEILL For The Temple News

P

resident Donald Trump has signed more than 90 executive orders since Jan. 20. Several of these orders target the queer community, including only recognizing two sexes at a federal level, reinstating his ban on transgender military service members and prohibiting transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

Trump made his anti- LGBTQ+ views clear during his first term when he opposed the Equality Act, which aimed to expand civil rights protections to the community. He also appointed numerous anti-LGBTQ judges to federal and state-level courts.

Amid the flurry of executive orders, students can find support in campus communities and should take advantage of university resources. While queer identities are being targeted, community is a powerful form of resistance, as it amplifies marginalized voices, preserves traditions and connects individuals to resources.

Community ties have positive mental health effects. Those with negative community connections are 4.4% more likely to report symptoms of anxiety compared to those with a solid support system, according to a June 2023 study

by Family Medicine and Community Health, a medical journal.

Finding meaningful relationships within the queer community is key to togetherness, said Alex Thomas, president of the Queer Student Union.

“Everything going on right now sucks, but it feels a little easier to manage if you know you’re not alone,” said Thomas, a sophomore political science major. “It feels nice to be around people who are like you, who go through similar experiences as you, or have similar interests.”

Students can build connections in the LGBTQ+ community by attending events on campus. The Reproductive

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

Freedom Conference on April 4 at Shusterman Hall will discuss healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals. This is a way to demonstrate allyship and build community connections.

Students can get involved with organizations like the Queer Student Union, Students for Trans Awareness and Rights to establish a strong support system and find comfort during times of distress.

Even though these executive orders seem daunting, people must remember there are still resources in place to protect the queer community, said Tom Waidzunas, director of Temple’s gender, sexuality and women’s studies program.

“I think we need to understand the difference between an executive order and federal law,” Waidzunas said. “Executive orders don’t change federal laws, they don’t change the rule of the courts.

They’re dangerous and they’re really important to pay attention to, but there are many protections that are still the law of the land.”

There are a plethora of resources on

campus available to support the queer community in Philadelphia and at Temple. The university hasn’t altered access to LGBTQ+ resources, so students can build a support system using the programs available during these difficult times.

Mark Denys, the associate vice provost of health and well-being, said there have been no changes to the LGBTQ+ services Temple offers as of now. The university health and wellness community is another beneficial, safe place for students to seek help during this time, he said.

“If students are struggling, I recommend they talk to someone, come to a Let’s Talk consultation, register for services at [Tuttleman Counseling Services], schedule a wellness consultation at the [Wellness Resource Center] or make an appointment [in Student Health Services]. There are multiple ways to reach out,” Denys said.

There are organizations working to support queer individuals in Philadelphia. Using the resources these organi-

zations provide will help students navigate a hostile political climate and get the information they need.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders Law, a non-profit and legal rights organization, has a search feature to filter by issue and state and provides information about laws and queer protections in their area. They also offer free resources for those trying to legally change their name.

The Mazzoni Center is an LGBTQ+ health facility located on Bainbridge Street near Broad. They provide health care services and support services like therapy, food and housing crisis assistance and legal assistance.

Using support networks, the resources available and staying informed will allow students in the queer community to be prepared and advocate for themselves in uncertain times. Through collective action, students can foster community to protect themselves against an attempted eradication of their identities. caelan.oneill@temple.edu

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 9

THE ESSAYIST

How I started planting seeds to my digital gardens A student reflects on building a digital garden to organize their thoughts.

In a perfect world, I could be this generation’s Sylvia Plath or perhaps even have published research projects.

Unfortunately, I’m unable to grab a notebook when I’m

BY OLIVER LOIS driving, walking ECONOMIDIS to class or taking a shower to scribPublic ble down my spiEngagement raling thoughts.

Coordinator Instead, I fall into the depths of my phone because it helps silence the chaos inside my brain.

I’ve spent all my life falling head over heels for fictional realities. I grew up sliding VHS tapes into our DVR and living in my local library, all before my age reached double digits. These fictional living rooms became a home for me, reminding me I’m not alone.

My brain organizes all the content I consume into files. Yet, the majority of my archives sit covered by dust. I’ve felt ashamed for being what I would call a failure. Others can sit down and eloquently string their thoughts together, but I’m a jumbled mess of handwritten letters and post-it notes.

I’m not sure why I can’t sit down and develop the ideas I have, but I understand part of it’s having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. My mind is meant to multitask, but it moves faster than I can keep up with, making it hard to concentrate.

It doesn’t help that it’s normal to only half pay attention to things. It’s common for people to use their phones while watching TV, be distracted on their laptops during class or listening to music when they’re outside.

This has lingered with me for months. I’ve considered switching to a

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

flip phone to unplug. However, it’s hard to exist without a modern smartphone because my profession is media.

While I was trying to find an answer to my dilemma, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole and stumbled upon a video by creator Anna Howard, called “Creating a Digital Garden to End my Doom Scrolling”.

Howard describes a digital garden as a space to connect thoughts by taking notes on the media you consume. It’s taking notes on your experiences and thoughts — it plants all those ideas to create a bigger idea across time. I format mine as journal entries and add quotes with my own interpretations.

As I planted the seeds for my digital garden, it forced me to reflect on how I support people in my life. I realized that having real-life experiences changes how we support others as I broke my life into bits and pieces. It requires us to connect to those around us instead of prioritizing parasocial relationships.

This realization unfolded as I reflected on being told how my “head-

aches” sound horrible. I felt agitated as I have migraines, not headaches. It felt more constructive for me to apply it to the bigger picture than to build resentment.

An episode of “The Golden Girls” that coincides with my experience influenced this big picture. A main character’s journey to get a diagnosis mirrored mine: she visited multiple doctors, who dismissed her until finally receiving an answer.

When I started digital gardening a few weeks ago, I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to make it stick. I hesitated in the beginning, as I didn’t want to commit myself to another failed venture. However, as I kept deliberating, I realized that nothing can grow without a starting point. You have to start something to fail, and with any garden, you must plant a seed.

The harsh truth is that if I don’t produce my ideas, no one else will. If I hesitate to prepare the soil for my online garden, nothing will grow. However, now that I’m past the planting stage, I’m

continuing to water and nurture what I’m planting.

I won’t always be present. But, when I have this plentiful garden of thoughts and ideas, I’ll be able to harvest those into a delicacy. With time, I’ve learned that documenting only takes one step.

The present will never happen again. Thoughts will change as we have experienced them, and if we never write them down, we can’t learn from them.

Like any garden, I can’t predict if every seed I plant will grow. But regardless of what happens, it’ll give me experience in nurturing my ideas into something more. I want to one day look out my window and see what I’ve grown. oliver.economidis@temple.edu

PAGE 10

OPINION

The Temple News

THE ESSAYIST

Embracing tenacity though my female friendships A student reflects on how their friendships helped them gain further perspective on identity.

I’ve been naturally drawn to women since I was a child. I thought men were innately scary because they seemed to have a bitterness that made me nervous unlike any other.

BY BRADLEY My closest MCENTEE friends growing Assistant Opinion up were always girls. At every Editor family function, I would find comfort in the arms of my mom and sister, or immediately run to my aunts across the room.

Every time I watched movies or TV shows, I immediately gravitated to female characters because they were more relatable. I originally thought it was just a symptom of being an effeminate gay person, but I eventually learned it was much more.

I didn’t just gravitate towards the normal female characters, but the ones with jagged edges. I had a propensity toward the ones with frayed personalities because they reminded me of a roughness I saw in myself.

I’ve always thought I related to the feminine experience more than the masculine one, because of how I move through the world and the way I process emotions.

I dabbled in the masculine too, playing baseball and taking up slight interests in cars and trucks, but nothing ever fit me. Each time I tried to be like a “normal boy,” it was ill-fitting and awkward, like when you can feel a tag rubbing your neck in a tight shirt.

I always thought that to identify as feminine, it had to happen in pink skirts, floral perfumes and bright patterns. I thought to be a proper gay man, I had to be the stereotypical caricature of a sassy sidekick, like Kurt Hummel from “Glee.”

JUAN COLON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

I tried on those costumes for a while, but it felt just as awkward as the masculine facade I tried years before.

It wasn’t until high school that I gave up the gendered balancing act I’d been doing my entire life. As a dance major at my performing arts school, I was always surrounded by girls with the same passions and interests as me. We were around each other constantly, and in many ways, it was my first exposure to the palpable power of the feminine bond.

Not only did we get to share our talents and passions, but we struggled together nearly every day. Dancing is a demanding sport, even though it isn’t always recognized as such. Your body is constantly contorted, working against its natural instinct, and pushing itself to the max.

We didn’t only endure the physical training, but also the brain-breaking emotional pressure of encroaching adulthood and the mental degradation that comes from having to stare at your body in the mirror all day. Our sense of community didn’t stop the mental strain from getting to me, but there’s a special

comfort in breaking down around people who share the same experience.

We cried and felt together. We grit our teeth, but we persevered nonetheless. I remember seeing girls run off stage after an intense performance and rip their costumes off for a quick change, only to run out on stage mere seconds later like nothing ever happened.

I saw in them what drew me to femininity before –– the stickiness and tenacity that lies under the surface which was absent from popular depictions of women. Within women is the ability to crumble and bounce back, and my shared experience with the girls I danced with reminded me of that.

Femininity isn’t just the pristine aesthetics the media constantly expects you to embrace. It’s also holed tights, beatdown canvas high tops and greasy hair.

This hidden roughness is best seen in a dance show, but it’s only visible to those standing in the curtain.

Dancers taught me about the complexities of femininity I constantly avoided when I was trying to embark on the earliest versions of my journey to self-discovery. I’ve begun to embrace the

attraction to femininity I’ve had since I was a child.

Skin tears, knees bruise and blood flows, sometimes all in the span of a two-minute number. But we all huffed through it and kept pushing forward, no matter how much we bled. There’s a toughness there that I didn’t understand before.

I feel a deep sense of who I am now, but I still don’t label my gender, because it’s quite frankly too complicated to try and stick a label to.

In the aftermath of the girlboss feminist ideal, it felt like to embrace the feminine you had to be either the traditional archetype of either the determined girlboss or docile blonde. But with dance, I saw both exist at the same time within my peers. That same combination exists within me now. bradley.mcentee@temple.edu

The Temple News

OPINION

PAGE 11

STUDENT LIFE

Vote for experience in TSG’s upcoming election A student argues that students must vote for realistic policies and previous experience in TSG.

BY MCCAILLAIGH ROUSE Opinion Editor On March 12, two campaigns officially announced their candidacies for the 2025-2026 Temple Student Government election — Temple Tomorrow, led by Lourdes Cardamone and Janeese Hochstetler, and TUnited, led by Yaam Malka and William Walker.

Temple Tomorrow is running on a platform defined by unity and increased student access to already available campus resources. Their policies include enhancing Temple’s safety measures.

Further, they’re pushing for measures to reduce student’s financial burdens and promoting sustainability practices.

TUnited’s campaign is running on the prospect of transparency, improved quality of life and safety. Their policies include reinstating a student senate, consulting with other student governments across the city and working to establish a Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

However, nearly all of TUnited’s policies have previously been or are currently in place at the university by current or past TSG presidents.

Both campaigns have outlined key initiatives to improve Temple, but students should vote for Temple Tomorrow, the campaign with the most attainable goals and experience within TSG. The two campaign presidents faced off in a debate Monday presenting their plans if elected and discussing key issues they believe impact the student body.

A moderator from The Temple News asked both candidates a series of questions, immediately followed by a student Q&A portion. Both campaigns addressed their stances on policies and shared their opinions on campus improvements.

Throughout this debate, it was exceptionally clear that TUnited has less experience with the structure and institutional responsibilities of TSG. For example, the moderator asked questions regarding their campaign’s

NILI SCHREIBMAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

opinions on campus development and the ramifications these constructions may have in the surrounding community. TUnited’s Malka stated that the construction disturbs the community of North Central and the lives of the student body. “[Klein Media construction] completely disrupts the daily life of students and community people,” Malka said. “I think working with the administration and advocating for the community and having people engage with community members to help build policies and work with administration allows them to have a voice that they currently don’t have.”

However, Temple has established the Office of Community Affairs and Engagement with the surrounding neighborhoods and community liaisons like Adrea Swan, the director of community and neighborhood affairs.

Further, North Central residents have spoken out with positive thoughts about the new Klein CPCA building expansion, The Temple News reported.

Having experience within TSG is

useful to understanding previous presidents, the process of passing policies and having communication with Temple Administration.

Both Cardamone and Hochstetler of Temple Tomorrow have a history of working with TSG. Temple Tomorrow has the perspective and understanding of what it means to run a campaign that will achieve change.

Many of the policies TUnited proposes don’t have a realistic end goal, like establishing a breakfast menu at the Chick-fil-A on campus and opening it at 7 a.m. Temple’s current Chick-fil-A’s in Morgan Food Court and the Howard Gittis Student Center are Chick-fil-A Express that have set menus and hours.

Implementing a breakfast menu would mean training and paying workers more. With the menu expanding in an already limited kitchen, Temple would likely have to open a standard Chickfil-A franchise for this to be feasible.

TSG works to improve campus life by addressing student concerns. Students must care about the policies each

campaign promotes. TSG is the official representative body for Temple students, advocating for their needs and interests to the university administration, faculty and the broader community.

From March 26 to 27, Temple students can cast their votes for the ticket they believe best represents their interests. The election results will be announced on Friday, March 28.

TSG plays a crucial role in representing the student body by advocating for their concerns, safety and overall needs to the university administration.

Those elected to these positions are responsible for ensuring that student interests remain a priority in university decision-making. mccaillaigh.rouse@temple.edu

ALL IN GOOD FUN

PAGE 12

Mixology Word Search

The Temple News

Beer Brands Crossword

ACROSS 3. This has been the best-selling beer in the U.S. for over 20 years.

4. This beer is a token symbol of the local barroom Bob & Barbara’s Lounge.

7. Budweiser famously uses this grain in their brewing process.

8. Heineken is the official beer of this championship racing competition.

9. This beer has their own campaign called Love Conquers All, which celebrates Pride and the LGBTQ+ community.

10. Coors Lite is brewed using water from this mountain range.

DOWN 1. This beer has been around for nearly a century.

2. Stella Artois was originally released as a special brew for this holiday.

3. This beer is the only brand that uses the founder’s name.

5. The name of this beer originated from a fan.

6. The name “Corona” actually means this in Spanish.

8. Miller Lite’s iconic slogan is notably “Great Taste!... Less ____!”

Margarita Long Island Iced Tea Bloody Mary Moscow Mule Aperol Spritz Cosmopolitan

TO BE

Spring Fest at Wagner Free Institue

The Harold Barnes Scholarship Fundraiser

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 | 12 - 4 P.M.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 | 2 - 4 P.M.

1700 West Montgomery Avenue

1936 Judson Street

PLACES

Martini Cosmo Mojito Negroni Old Fashioned Manhattan

Looking for something to do? Here are some upcoming local North Philly events.

Celebrate the start of spring with the Wagner Institute where you’ll be able to learn more about the different signs of the season.

The Harold Barnes Scholarship will be providing awards for local North Philly youth in their educational prospects.

Carousel of Love: A Community Baby Shower

Black Men’s Wellness Day

1331 East Wyoming Avenue

Take the steps toward better health at the Black Men’s Wellness Day by participating in free health screenings and enjoying live entertainment with the local North Central community.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12 | 12 - 4 P.M.

Celebrate Black Maternal Health Week at this community baby shower hosted by Oshun Family Center in partnership with Temple Women’s Hospital.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 | 7 A.M. - 12 P.M.

1816 North 15th Street

CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST!

New episodes are released biweekly on Wednesdays.

PAGE 14

INVESTIGATION

The Temple News

TTN PLUS

New sustainability report highlights loss in goals The 2023-24 report, released before spring break, showed decreases in recycling.

BY EVELYN BLOWER News Editor

F

ive years ago, Temple’s 2019 Climate Action plan set out specific commitments to campus sustainability — 44 total goals spanning from academics, culture, design, energy and operations. Just 28 of them have been completed since 2019.

Some of the initiatives surpassed their initial goals, but some are not near their benchmark, according to Temple’s 2023-24 Sustainability Report, released just before spring break in February.

Energy use in buildings is only down by 2% from 2017 and the core recycling rate is still half of its 2020 goal, down by nearly 89%. Less than 2% of campus dining services are locally sourced, compared to a goal of 20% by 2020. And total gross emissions have slightly increased, according to the report.

Temple created the 2019 Climate Action Plan as a means to create benchmarks for the university to hit on its way to carbon neutrality.

“The Climate Action Plan is what guides the structure of that report, and the transparency of our data is something that we committed to back in the initial Climate Action commitment,” said Rebecca Collins, director of sustainability in the Office of Sustainability. “It’s all towards the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 but the [CAP] really gave us a roadmap in different areas.”

The Sustainability Report creates a transparent space for the Temple community to review how the administration and the Office of Sustainability has worked toward their outlined goals. Last year, The Temple News reviewed the 2023-24 report for Earth Day. “[Some of it] is greenwashing and all for optics, and they obfuscate and make it really confusing in order for people to understand [the reports],” said Ty Fowler, a senior philosophy major

and co-founder of the unofficial student organization Temple Climate Action.

“Temple does not clarify exactly how they are calculating the amount of emissions they are reducing. You have to take everything in the report with a grain of salt.”

Here’s an in-depth guide to Temple’s sustainability goals progress.

OPERATIONS Basic material waste is one of the most significant numerical changes in the report. The 2019 goal was to increase the core recycling rate to 30% by 2020 — but only reached 16% last year. The highest core recycling percentage the university has hit was in 2023 at 55%.

Single stream recycling was reported at 962 tons in 2023, down from 1,583 tons in 2019. However, the university measured only 99 tons of recycled waste in 2024. Collins attributed the dip to a new waste hauling contract with a vendor that weighs the recycling rather than tracking it using yardage.

“Prior to this recent reporting period, we were making some assumptions about weight based on yardage, and as you can see, those assumptions were a little bit generous,” said Caroline Burkholder, senior sustainability manager.

“So that really is the reason for the dip in recycling, because we’re just actually weighing the material now.”

Single stream recycling includes food and beverage containers, empty cans, cartons, cardboard, glass and paper, according to the City of Philadelphia’s single stream recycling program.

Plastic bags, food, tissues, batteries and other soiled materials can contaminate a whole load and prohibit the city from recycling the batch.

All municipal solid waste is up about 100%, from 1,021 tons in 2023 to 2,093 tons in 2024. Mixed office paper increased from 148 tons in 2023 to 249 tons in 2024. Temple hasn’t utilized any vegetation compost since 2022. In 2023, Temple reported recycling 2,118 tons of construction materials, but only 130 tons in 2024.

Philadelphia has made efforts to im-

SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Plastic bags, food, tissues, batteries and other soiled materials can contaminate a whole load and prohibit the city from recycling the batch.

prove sanitation and recycling, but the recycling rate is only 13%, compared to other cities like New York City, with a 20% rate, and Boston’s 25%, The Philadelphia Citizen reported. The city has tried different measures to combat waste issues like illegal dumping via trash pickups twice per week in South Philadelphia.

ENERGY & EMISSIONS Temple uses electricity and natural gas, steam and oil in buildings and facilities. The Climate Action Plan outlines a goal of reducing energy use by 18% by 2030.

In 2019, electricity use was recorded at 678,602 million British Thermal Units. In 2024, after years of fluctuation, it was 673,308 MMBtu. One MMBtu is equal to 293 kilowatt-hour of energy — the university used around 197 million kWh in 2024.

Temple has purchased Green-e Renewable Energy Certificated sources each year since 2014, and purchased 9,500,000 kWh worth of Green-e RECs

in 2023 to meet carbon reduction goals.

The total energy consumption from clean and renewable sources was slightly more than two percent in 2023.

The university also uses alternative fueled vehicles for transportation. Temple increased its fleet of electric vehicles by 17 since 2023, out of 186 total vehicles.

Fleet-based emissions from Temple’s vehicles have risen compared to the 2020 baseline of 649.55 metric tons of carbon dioxide. In 2024, the university used 687 metric tons, a 10% increase, even though Temple reduced its total vehicle number from 223 to 186 between 2020 and 2024.

The Office of Sustainability reports its greenhouse gas emissions each year, using three different scopes to break down different emissions in different departments. They’re measured in MTCO2e, metric tons of carbon dioxide.

The first scope encompasses oil, natural gas, propane, refrigerants and fertilizers — total gross emissions in this scope is 51,930 MTCO2e, slightly higher from 2023 but reduced from the univer-

The Temple News

sity’s high of 65,189 in 2009.

The second scope’s emissions include purchased electricity, steam and the Green-e RECs that reduce Temple’s net emissions. They purchased 5,651 MTCO2es of RECS in 2024, double from last year’s 2,825 MTCO2es. Still, the number is down from its decade-high purchase of 22,834 MTCO2es in 2016.

The third scope totals commuting, university travel, solid waste emissions and transmissions. Faculty and staff commuting emissions are slightly higher than last year, but student commuting reduced by about 700 MTCO2es.

University-financed travel increased by 1,000 MTCO2es to 8,259, but hasn’t hit five digits since 2020 which was its highest recorded year at nearly 12,300 MTCO2es.

The fact sheet measures gross emissions intensity by square foot and by student. Since 2006, the percentage of emission intensity per 1,000 square foot has been cut in half. The gross emission rate per student hovered less than five percent from 2019 to 2024, when it hit 5.28 gross emission intensity.

Emission quantity is not radically different through the three different scopes, all within five thousand MTCO2es of each other. Environmentalists primarily focus on reducing the first scope of emissions, since it deals directly with fossil fuels which release large amounts of carbon dioxide when burned.

“It would be really impactful for Temple to divest from fossil fuels, it’s a large contributor to our scope one emissions,” said Nikki Ivan, a senior environmental studies major and EcoLead through the Office of Sustainability’s EcoRep program. “Overall, it’s just something that I don’t think a university should be supporting.”

CULTURE & ACADEMICS The culture section of the report focused on different on-campus solutions that both students and faculty can contribute to, including food insecurity initiatives and some of the donation programs like Give + Go Green and Temple Thrift.

Though not mentioned in the report, Temple Climate Action has worked since 2022 to spread awareness of sustainability. They partnered with Temple Student Government in May 2024 to

INVESTIGATION release a statement advocating for Temple’s divestment from fossil fuels.

Temple’s cohort of EcoReps, an organization of students who participate in the Office of Sustainability’s development and engagement, held different events and collaborations to encourage sustainability around campus. The program began in Fall 2020 and held a total of 88 events last year for environmental education and advocacy.

“Oftentimes when people think about sustainability and environmentalism as a whole, they often feel that there’s not much that can be done, like it’s something we can’t fix,” Ivan said. “I think understanding that there are solutions and promoting sustainability and environmental advocacy, it’s something that is really impactful and can make a difference.”

The Cherry Pantry, a free-to-use pantry for students, faculty and staff, distributes canned goods and fresh vegetables from the Temple Community Garden. Students can use the pantry once per week and total visits have doubled, from 4,830 visits in 2022-23 to 9,061 visits last year. The program launched in 2018 after the university conducted a survey that revealed 35% of students experience food insecurity.

The sector of academics and research aims to increase sustainability course offerings to teach students sustainability engagement and curricula.

Temple offered sustainability courses in 80 departments — an increase from 68 in 2017 — during the 2023-24 year, surpassing its goal of a two-department increase by 2022.

One of the 2016-17 goals was to offer an increase of 10 sustainability courses by 2022. Temple has decreased the number of sustainability courses by 33 since 2016, as of 2023. Sustainability-inclusive courses, which are classes that include topics of sustainability, have decreased by 36 from the 2016 baseline.

“It’s just the hypocrisy of [academics and sustainability],” Fowler said.

“They’re adding all of these unnecessary programs and classes, and not amplifying the classes and information that is integral to climate action and sustainability.”

SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING Temple uses a certification process from the Association for the Advance-

PAGE 15

FERNANDO GAXIOLA / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple used 687 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2024, a 10% increase from 2023.

ment of Sustainability in Higher Education — the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. The most recent four-year certification was submitted in 2023, and Temple received its first, and highest, Gold rating with a score of 66.57. The highest possible rating is platinum, with 85 minimum points needed.

Temple lacks the framework to complete different STARS standards. The university doesn’t plan to pursue green building codes and ratings in building design and construction, nor do they utilize their own zero clean and renewable electricity sources and doesn’t invest in sustainable industries, businesses or funds as of 2023.

The certification is valid until February 2027, when Temple will most likely self-report its data again. Schools can self-report their data each year, according to the STARS website.

“Another thing students can do is be aware of this data and understand it,” Collins said. “We need students to be raising their voice about the necessity of these programs and really thinking critically about Temple’s impact and making sure we’re doing our part for the city of Philadelphia.”

The Office of Sustainability includes Burkholder, Collins and Bryce Forys, the sustainability coordinator. The office has not yet met with President John Fry. “That report makes a lot of big claims, and three people cannot do that,” Fowler said. “They cannot do it healthily, and they cannot do it well, and it’s nothing about them – they’re great people who really care, and they’re overworked and they don’t have enough funding. I’d like to see the Office of Sustainability get more funding, more staff people and more agency.”

Collins stressed the long-term efforts of the Office of Sustainability’s work.

“It takes a lot of engagement across the university over time to really make sure we are investing our time and finances in ways that are going to have a payoff that are really reasonable and meaningful,” Collins said. “Y’all are here for four years, so it may not seem like that there are things happening, or not quickly enough – I promise you we are working on so many things, and sometimes it just takes time to achieve that.” evelyn.blower@temple.edu @evelyn_blower

LIVE Philly in

NOEL CHACKO/ THE TEMPLE NEWS An employee from Evil Genius Beer Company fills a cup with beer.

Brewing up spring with a Fishtown block party Evil Genius Beer Company’s Evil Genius Beer Company, locat- tunity for growth, allowing them to gain spring block party blended craft ed on North Front Street near Palmer exposure to people who may not otherbeer and local vendors.

Street for eight years, has built a reputa- wise know about their stores.

BY NOEL CHACKO Staff Photographer

F

ront Street was shut down in front of Evil Genius Beer Company for a spring celebration of craft beer, community and creativity on March 22. “Sprung! A Spring Block Party” brought together local vendors, families and beer enthusiasts for an afternoon of fun.

tion of hosting block parties that go beyond beer tasting, partnering with vendors and food trucks to attract attendees.

“We’ve always wanted to be a place where you can kind of bring anybody and enjoy yourself and enjoy great beer in the process. And, you know, these events are great for us to really bring everybody together in one shared space,” said Ryan Keller, marketing manager at Evil Genius Beer Company.

Local entrepreneurs have found block parties to be a significant oppor-

“Doing pop up markets helps us connect with the community,” said Lauren Fithian, owner of Shop Later Dudes, a vintage store that specializes in coats. “[It] helps us connect with local businesses, other resellers. It also just gets the shop’s name out.”

For many vendors like Fithian, the event is more than just a sales opportunity — it’s a community bridge that narrows the gap between local businesses and a broader audience.

Attendees enjoyed a fun day of par-

tying in the streets, listening to a wide variety of music, eating food and shopping. Nicole Schott, a Temple alumna and registered nurse, enjoyed spending time with her friends at the block party.

“I really enjoy all the pop up shops, was able to purchase a few things, the environment itself with the music and the nice weather,” Schott said. “Now that it’s finally spring, it’s nice to see everyone out and about and enjoy themselves and their families.” noel.chacko@temple.edu

From top to bottom:

From top to bottom:

Attendees line up to try beers from Evil Genius Beer Company.

Local vendors sell items to block party attendees.

Staff from Evil Genius Beer Company fulfill orders from customers.

Shop Later Dudes, a vintage shop, displays its items at the block party.

Front Street was shut down in front of Evil Genius Beer Company for a spring celebration of craft beer, community and creativity on Saturday March 22.

Evil Genius Beer Company, located on North Front Street near Palmer.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

CHECK OUT OUR NEWSLETTERS UNMUTED By: Opinion Editor McCaillaigh Rouse and Assistant Opinion Editor Bradley McEntee Opinion newsletter that recaps the most prominent essays, columns and op-eds of the week.

THE HOOT By: Features Editor Bayleh Alexander Features newsletter, recapping the week’s biggest lifestyle, arts, music and culture stories.

EL BÚHO By: Co-Chief Copy Editor Valeria Uribe Spanish newsletter, breaking down the week’s biggest stories directly in Spanish.

TTN ALERTS By: Newsletter Editor Cara Kishter Breaking news newsletter that brings the latest breaking info straight from our reporter’s sources right to your inbox.

Scan the QR code to join!

2025

BAR GUIDE

PAGE 20

BAR GUIDE

BAR GUIDE

From the Editor I’ve always thrived in social settings, but more than that, I need them to feel fulfilled. As my friends and I are about to graduate, our social time becomes limited with internships, hefty course loads and the uncertainty of what a full-time job will mean for our daily hangouts.

The weekend offers a relief for me, providing well-needed moments where I can put my week’s rigor behind me and melt into a bar’s booth with a gin and tonic in hand. Nothing fuels my heart more than hearing my friend’s laughter, blending into the roar of strangers filling the space around us — who likely waited for the weekend to do the same.

There’s something electric about the collective experience of being a college student in a bar, surrounded by strangers who you know share similar tastes. Whether grinning ear to ear on the Franky Bradley’s dance floor, playing a round of pool at Buffalo Billiards or putting on your finest outfit for a specialty cocktail at the Ranstead Room, Bar Guide offers a space for everyone.

Temple offers a unique trifecta for students living near campus with Pub Webb and Maxi’s hosting the perfect Thursday night out, along with the newly established Peabody providing a Temple-themed menu and student-centric experience.

In this year’s Bar Guide, The Temple News takes newly 21-year-olds through the nightlife experience of a lifetime. Inside peeks include a guide on how to order from a bar, our 16 must-see bar recommendations and features on some of the most prominent bars in the city.

Get out there, have fun and, most importantly, be safe.

Cheers,

Bayleh Alexander Features Editor

The Temple News

Delays at The Peabody The bar’s launch was pushed ing the successful opening of Bagels and back for years before new Co. with fellow Glu Hospitality operator ownership opened it last month. Tim Lu a few months earlier.

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor

A

ndrew Rosso had been eagerly anticipating the opening of The Peabody for more than a year. He first noticed the storefront decorated with posters and QR codes encouraging passersby to apply for positions.

However, the link was broken, and the establishment’s opening seemed to be perpetually delayed, putting his excitement on hold.

The Peabody, which finally opened three weeks ago, offers Rosso a new on-campus drinking experience. But the bar still needs some work, he said.

“Maxi’s has the reputation, I feel like, of having that Thursday night campus bar and then Pub Webb is also right there with it,” said Rosso, a senior graphic and interactive design major. “[The Peabody] just feels like it needs some time to really find itself.”

Glu Hospitality, the former owner and operator of The Peabody, partnered with Temple and planned to open the bar in Fall 2022. However, amid years of unexplained delays, the opening was rescheduled for November 2024, only to be postponed again for several months.

At last, the establishment had its official opening in late February.

Less than a month after The Peabody’s long-awaited opening, Glu Hospitality shut down due to a Department of Labor investigation amid wage theft allegations and lawsuits, The Temple News reported.

“Glu never really opened [The Peabody], it’s been opened under new ownership,” said Derek Gibbons, the former partial owner of Glu Hospitality.

Gibbons declined to identify the new owners, but specified they’re individuals and not affiliated with a restaurant group.

Gibbons took on The Peabody as part of a larger effort to expand the franchise to Cecil B. Moore Avenue, follow-

However, delays set in shortly after construction began. They hadn’t anticipated the former Draught Horse location would require a complete interior gutting, but none of the previously existing plumbing or mechanical fixtures could be reused, Gibbons said.

Glu Hospitality struggled financially in their remaining months, and Lu told the Inquirer they had taken too much onto their plate in an effort to expand their restaurants across the city.

Gibbons also credited many of the delays to various state inspectors and the desire to open the bar at an opportune time for its college campus crowd. As the owner of several restaurants around the city, Glu knew to expect setbacks and challenges along the way. The added pressure to open during a time when students were on campus, however, was an unexpected obstacle for the company.

Although The Peabody is under new ownership, Temple’s Director of Real Estate Gina Rubinic is working to assure the Temple community that its branding and overall experience will not change.

Rubinic oversaw Glu’s lease agreement with Temple and worked to ensure The Peabody adds to the community in an intentional way. Opening The Peabody and Bagels and Co. on Cecil B. Moore is part of the university’s larger effort to expand open storefronts.

“It’s important, the more businesses and enterprises happening on Cecil B. Moore,” Rubinic said. “That means people sitting having a cup of coffee. That means people walking in and out of businesses. The more foot traffic, the better, the more people are there in the morning and at night. And that just contributes to safety.”

Rosso said. bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

The Temple News

BAR GUIDE

PAGE 21

BAR GUIDE

Turning twenty-fun and ordering your first drink TOP OR BOTTOM SHELF? Features Editor Bayleh Alexander Now that you’ve decided on a liquor shares a guide to ease first-time variety, it’s time to settle on a quality bar-goers’ ordering anxieties.

BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor A freshly minted 21-year-old faces the excitement of a whole new world of nightlife and social experiences — but stepping up to the bar for the first time can feel a little intimidating.

With so many options and unfamiliar terms — house, well, mixers, sours — it’s normal to feel unsure about what to order and how to phrase it. From choosing the type of liquor to deciding between “house” or a top-shelf brand, figuring out your go-to drink doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Here’s Features Editor Bayleh Alexander’s guide for first-time bar-goers.

CHOOSE YOUR LIQUOR Deciding the type of liquor or spirit is the building block to creating your ideal mixed drink or cocktail. Liquors come in various forms and are typically classified as clear or dark.

Popular clear liquors include: vodka, a neutral-tasting spirit typically made from grains, gin, a fresh-tasting liquor that gets its flavor from juniper berries, and tequila, made from the heart of agave plants. These typically have a smoother, cleaner taste and are a versatile base for mixed drinks and cocktails. Ordering vodka drinks is an easy first-time choice due to the variety of mixed drinks it can produce.

Dark liquors like whiskey, bourbon and brandy typically have a richer flavor profile. While doable for more ambitious beginners, they contain more congeners, which are toxic byproducts produced during the fermentation process.

Although the aging process causes dark liquor to have a richer flavor than clear liquor, it can also intensify hangovers, making clear liquor a wiser choice for first-time drinkers.

preference between house or top-shelf.

House liquor, also known as well liquor or bottom-shelf, is the bar’s default and cheapest option. When ordering a standard drink, like a gin and tonic, the bartender may ask for a gin preference.

If you don’t know your preference, “No, house is fine,” is a suitable response.

Top-shelf, or premium, liquor is better quality and more expensive than bottom-shelf options. These liquors undergo a more refined distillation process, resulting in a smoother and more enjoyable drinking experience. When ordering a drink with a top-shelf preference, it’s simpler to say, “Grey Goose Cosmopolitan,” for example, rather than waiting for the bartender to ask.

SIP OR SHOOT? Now that you’ve selected your liquor preference, it’s time to choose how you want to drink it — in a cocktail or as a shot.

Popular cocktails for first-time drinkers include Cosmopolitans, lemon drops, mojitos and martinis. All cocktails consist of one or more liquors, along with other ingredients like juice, tonic water, flavored syrup and mixers.

When ordering a cocktail, it helps to have an idea of what flavor and liquor to choose. They typically fall under a variety of flavor categories, including sweet, sour, fruity and bitter.

For first-time drinkers, ordering sweet or fruity drinks is an easy introduction to enjoying liquor. Some sweet varieties include a Cosmopolitan and a gimlet. The fruity cocktail variety includes tequila sunrise and daiquiris.

Once you master sweet drinks, you may enjoy graduating to sour or bitter cocktails. Examples of sour cocktails include whiskey sours, amaretto sours and tequila sours. These are all made with lemon or lime juice and a sweetener.

Popular bitter drinks are Negronis, Aperol Spritzes and Manhattans.

Choosing flavoring and liquor is a personal choice and everyone has their own preferences. It’s easy to feel

self-conscious about a drink choice, especially when surrounded by more experienced bar-goers. Remember: there’s no right or wrong drink order.

Braver bar-goers may opt for a shot in lieu of a mixed drink. Shots are a small portion of straight liquor that you drink in one gulp. Shots like green tea, white tea and Kamikaze shots also contain mixers.

Due to their high alcohol content, shots may be difficult to swallow for beginners. It is recommended to use a chaser – a non-alcoholic beverage that follows the shot immediately after you take it to help swallow it down.

Be careful here — you don’t want to take too many shots. Everyone has a different alcohol threshold, but you may not feel the effects instantly and be inclined to take more. Listen to your body and space out time between shots to make sure you’re not overdoing it.

BEER AND WINE Choosing beer or wine is a suitable decision if you want to enjoy a drink but don’t want to get too intoxicated from liquor’s higher alcohol content. For beer, start by choosing options on tap, also known as draft, or bottled and canned.

Draft beers are typically fresher, smoother and more carbonated and are served through a tap system from a keg.

Canned beers are served in aluminum and better protect the drink from light and oxygen than bottles, and are comparable to a draft when chilled. Bottled beers are portable and served in a glass, but the flavor can taste different than draft and canned due to higher element exposure.

For wine, decide between red, white or rosé, then choose sweet or dry based on personal taste. Red wines are fermented grapes with the skin, which gives it its dark color and tannins. White wine is also fermented grapes, but without the skin, resulting in a lighter color and smoother texture.

Red wine is a darker, bolder flavor and is typically served at room temperature. White wine is lighter and fresher and is typically served chilled.

When unsure, asking the bartender

for a beer or wine recommendation is always a safe choice.

ORDERING Now that you’re familiar with all the necessary terms, let’s run through the process of ordering. It’s a good rule of thumb to already know what type of drink you’re in the mood for before approaching the bar, especially when bartenders are busy.

Make eye contact with the bartender to indicate you’re ready to order and have payment out and ready — being direct and confident will help smooth the process.

Be mindful of the space around you and don’t shove people out of your way to make it to the front, but assert yourself and don’t let fellow bar-goers push you to the back.

An unspoken bar rule includes saying the name of the liquor before the mixer. For example, ordering a gin and tonic instead of a tonic and gin.

Once ordered, the bartender will ask if you’d like to close out or start a tab. If this is your only drink of the night, you’ll close out, meaning they run your card and hand you the receipt right after. But if you’re planning on having multiple drinks, you can open a tab, meaning the bartender runs your card but holds off on payment until the end of the night.

Some bars keep the card and some hand it back to you immediately, but the tab is still running regardless. To close your tab, you’ll let the bartender know you’d like to close out and they’ll hand the receipt back to you with all your drinks from the night on it.

Make sure you leave at least a 20% tip! bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

BAR GUIDE

PAGE 22

The Temple News

BAR GUIDE

Night Owls flock to these campus watering holes Maxi’s, Pub Webb and The Jimmy Falcone, Peabody provide Temple’s a senior sport community with nightlife. and recreation

BY MIKE NONNEMAKER Assisant Features Editor Trey Jones has spent the past seven months checking IDs and keeping the peace at Maxi’s, one of Temple’s most well-known bars. It’s the vibrant energy filling the place each night that makes it easy for him to enjoy the job.

“I like getting to see everyone, meeting new people especially,” said Jones, a junior business management major and bouncer at Maxi’s. “The atmosphere is great. Everyone is happy when they come in here.”

Temple’s nightlife primarily revolves around three on-campus bars: Maxi’s, Pub Webb and the newest edition to campus, The Peabody. Each offers a distinct experience, from sports bar energy, to dive bar charm to a casual sit-down experience. Together, they provide the community with a variety of options for a night out without leaving campus.

Maxi’s, located at the heart of Main Campus on Liacouras Walk, is known for its lively energy, signature pizza and role as a go-to stop for a night out. The bar draws crowds for its prime location and weekly events like karaoke and trivia. It also offers a variety of drink specials throughout the week and late-night food options, making it a popular spot to socialize and relax with friends.

Maxi’s is also a bustling game day destination, attracting students and alumni to watch their favorite teams.

On big sports nights, the bar packs with fans, cheering between bites of pizza and rounds of drinks. Maxi’s, a campus staple since 2005, is a tradition for many in the Temple community.

Across Broad Street on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near Sydenham Street, Pub Webb offers a more laid-back, classic dive bar feel. With affordable drinks and pub food, it attracts students looking for a casual hangout.

“I just like the dive bar vibe,” said

management major. “I feel like you would never think you’re in North Philadelphia when you walk in this bar. The wings are fantastic, great wings on Thursday night.

It’s always a good vibe.”

Along with a relaxed atmosphere, students don’t have to break the bank at Pub Webb.

Taco Tuesdays and Thursday wing nights are among their most popular days of the week, while the cheap drafts and BRIAN NELSON, SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS mixed drinks keep Temple University is home to three bars on and around campus including Pub Webb, Maxi’s and The Peabody. costs low. With deals throughout this place is we can cater to two differThese three bars – Maxi’s, Pub the week, it’s not uncommon to see stu- ent sides of the school,” said De Jesus. Webb, and The Peabody – serve as gathdents filling the bar after a day of classes. “So with our menu and our cocktails, we ering spots where students, alumni, facThough tucked farther away from have things that are geared towards pro- ulty and community members come tocampus, Pub Webb has become a go-to fessors, deans, faculty and staff involved gether. Whether it’s for a casual drink, destination for students and community throughout the school.” a lively event or a game-day celebration, members. Its classic pub fare and occaThe bar seamlessly integrates Tem- these bars create a space where diverse sional live music have kept it a beloved ple’s school spirit into its offerings groups of people can connect, share exTemple tradition for the past 15 years. with sections like “The Dean’s List,” periences and enjoy the vibrant energy The Peabody, the newest addition to which features high-end craft cocktails of Temple’s social scene.

Temple’s nightlife scene, stands out with and “The Student Section,” which of“You have a group of students to its blend of upscale charm and school fers clever takes on affordable classics. one side of the bar, and then you have spirit. Unlike Maxi’s and Pub Webb, it Drinks like the “Bell Tower Sour” and a group of gentlemen that work for the offers a more curated, sit-down experi- “Beury on the Beach” give a nod to Tem- facilities department,” De Jesus said. “It’s ence, drawing a crowd that appreciates ple’s school spirit, making the bar an in- that mesh and that combination which is a more traditional bar experience mixed viting spot for both alumni and current really nice to see.” with a hint of elegance. students.

General Manager AJ De Jesus beThe bar sets itself apart from other mike.nonnemaker@temple.edu lieves the bar’s potential for success lies campus staples, offering a more tradiin its ability to cater to different parts of tional sit-down restaurant experience the Temple community. and a spacious venue, including private “You know, what’s really cool about rooms for events.

The Temple News

BAR GUIDE

PAGE 23

BAR GUIDE

DJs, drag queens and drinks at Franky Bradley’s Both queer and straight Bradley’s since its opening in 2015, and 20-somethings gather at the his passion for the establishment has Gayborhood bar-club combo. only grown during the years. As general

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER Features Editor When Kendall Swirles first turned 21, her older friends urged her to check out Franky Bradley’s. Within one visit, Swirles knew this was the bar for her and quickly gathered the rest of her friends to turn this visit into a weekly endeavor.

Eventually, Swirles’ Frankey Bradley’s habit got out of hand. Her and her friend’s unwillingness to explore other watering holes begged light-hearted intervention.

“We just had a press call, like a group conference about how we need to branch out because we only go there,” said Swirles, a senior community development major. “Just the vibe that is curated is so incredibly good.”

Franky Bradley’s, located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood on Chancellor Street near Juniper, is a booming nightlife hub catering to all ends of the LGBTQ spectrum alongside a consistent heterosexual customer base. Temple students, along with other 20-somethings in the city, flock to their disco-themed rooms weekly for a night almost assured to be a positive experience.

Their whimsical interior, accompanied by talented DJ sets, burlesque performances, drag shows and lively dance floors, caters to every individual who walks through their doors — so long as they’re willing to embrace its quirkiness.

“The rooms are really crazy because every time I go in one it’s a different vibe in there,” Swirles said. “And [my friends and I] all kind of find something that we love in it, whether it’s the music or we’re talking to a random person.”

Described as a “house of the weird” by manager Davy Morreale, the bar-andclub duo features three rooms with bars and seating on the ground floor, along with two dance floors and another bar tucked between them on the top level.

Morreale has been with Franky

manager, he played a key role in the expansion to B. West, a club addition that joined the original building in 2022.

Attention to the particular is the primary method bar management uses to set Franky’s apart from other Philly bars.

“The devil’s in the details,” Morreale said.

Franky’s isn’t a gay or straight bar, he added. It’s rather an open-ended space hosting an array of events for every audience.

“Even St. Patrick’s Day, I think we had a Lady Gaga drag show in here, a Robin Williams burlesque show upstairs, an Irish band playing in the B. West club, and then that was even before we went into club mode,” Morreale said.

Managing six bars in one establishment and producing multiple shows at the same time is no easy feat, but Morreale credits his staff for cultivating a hard-working and supportive community that makes the work fly by easier.

Andrew Compaine, a DJ and sound tech that has been with Franky’s since their opening in 2015, was drawn to the venue for its versatility and opportunities. His roles at the venue allow him to differentiate different sonic identities each dance room has. Compaine colloquially defines the main dance room as the “straight room” and the B. West dance room as the “gay room.”

The main dance floor, located in the original Franky’s building, holds a larger number of dancers and plays more mainstream music, such as the top 40 hit remix, Compaine said. The other dance room in B. West is a bit more off-thebeaten-path and plays more EDM and house music.

“Franky’s sort of developed prior to B. West opening,” Compaine said. “It developed a straight clientele, I think, incidentally, because of maybe, college kids.

So B. West is supposed to be the more intentionally queer part of the project.”

While not a part of the LGBTQ community herself, Swirles’ friend group is

SARAH MADDEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Frankey Bradley’s is located at the corner of Chancellor and Juniper streets.

comprised of both hetero and homosexual identities. Franky’s offers them a safe space where no matter the identity, the overarching aim is to ensure everyone is having a positive and safe club experience, she said.

Morreale echoed the same sentiment and said Franky’s clientele is not intended for one identity, but for anyone who honors their intention to create a safe space for queer identities and beyond.

“As long as you are welcoming and kind and safe and like you’re open to everything, it’s a safe space for everybody,” Morreale said. “It boils down to the exact same thing. We said this when we were first about to open 10 years ago, or more than that now, and we have never veered away from that.”

bayleh.alexander@temple.edu

THE

16

BY BAYLEH ALEXANDER & SAMUEL O’NEAL For The Temple News

1

DIRTY FRANKS

It’s a hodgepodge of college students, hipsters, millennials and older gentlemen who nurse a light beer and hover by the dartboard in the back corner.

2

The Temple News has traveled all across Philadelphia, exploring bars in different neighborhoods that offer the most premier drinking experience. This guide covers it all.

4

RANSTEAD ROOM

Hidden on a small dark street, this nondescript speakeasy is only identifiable by a red light bulb and a creaky-looking door.

5

THE GREEN ROOM

There is something homey about the pool table in the center of the room, the tables around the perimeter of the room and the people you meet while there.

6

OSCAR’S TAVERN

The checkered floors and live jazz music create a cozy and nostalgic vibe for anyone looking to enjoy a few rounds of billiards with a group of friends.

If there was ever a dive bar in Philly that you would want to be a local at, this red-tinted, sitcombar-like watering hole on Sansom Street is among the best options.

3

7

BLACK TAXI

CELLAR DOG

KELLIANN’S

This neighborhood corner tavern offers a chill evening out for those looking to indulge in a comforting meal paired with a cold drink.

A two-unit bar, with one serving as a typical dive and the other a more traditional sit-down, is a great place to watch Premier League soccer.

8

BROWNIE’S

It’s an under-the-radar hole in the wall with cheap drinks and a hidden living-room-esque space upstairs with a flat screen TV, pool table and a separate TouchTunes machine that only plays to the speakers on the top floor.

9

CAVANAUGH’S RIVERDECK

The waterfront restaurant and beer garden turn into a club after the sun goes down, making it a versatile option for any type of drinker.

10

JOHNNY BRENDA’S

Johnny Brenda’s is a longtime Fishtown staple, offering Philadelphians stellar performances, food and drink since 1967. The large venue consistently hosts indie and rock bands to play while patrons enjoy a beer and burger alongside the show.

11

GARAGE

As its name hints, it’s a former auto shop gutted out and transferred into a bar. There is an abundance of seating, skeeball, lots of bar space and massive TVs for sporting events.

12

URBAN SALOON

Their wide selection of craft beers and signature cocktails makes it the perfect spot to catch the game, enjoy casual conversation and savor comfort food.

13

THE EL BAR

The late-night, cash-only vibe keeps customers entranced for hours, whether it’s enjoying a billiards game, singing karaoke or sipping on a cheap beer.

14

FRANKFORD HALL

In the summer it’s a half-indoor, half-outdoor vibe-fest with good weather, massive mugs of German beer and quality food.

Make sure to grab the jumbo Bavarian pretzel.

15

KHYBER PASS PUB

This two-room bar in Old City is one of the neighborhood’s best.

The left side is a loud upscale dive while the right features a slow, sit-down environment.

16

SASSAFRAS

This cozy, dimly lit bar is tucked away in the heart of Old City, offering an authentic charm that extends to its carefully crafted signature cocktails.

PHOTOS BY JARED TATZ & JACK LARSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS

PAGE 26

BAR GUIDE

The Temple News

BAR GUIDE

A closer look at Milkboy’s music and evolution How MilkBoy’s musical roots sustain it through seismic changes.

BY JADON GEORGE Features Staff Writer Michael Johnson leaned back in his chair at the front of Presser 104, put his feet up on the desk. For basically three hours straight on Tuesday afternoon, Johnson taught dozens of students at the Boyer College of Music. There were book-smarts rattling around beneath his snowcap-colored curls, for sure: Johnson led the University of the Arts’ music program from 2013 to its shock closure in May 2024. But he also performed at indie-friendly venues across Philadelphia in his formative years.

Spots like MilkBoy on the corner of 11th and Chestnut Streets; Johnson played there in 2013. It was neither tiny nor enormous, big enough to host a band bursting with potential without itself exploding. And its windows retracted like garage doors. When open, golden light streamed through the entire bar and dining area.

In the years after his MilkBoy set, Johnson became a father and lost several family members. That season of his life left him with those grays. His return left him believing Philly indie was a shadow of itself.

“I think we failed you guys,” Johnson said. “Our older brothers made us a really nice independent underground — and then, when the paychecks came calling, we sold it right back to Apple and whatnot.”

That change, the gentrification of culture and experience itself, manifests itself across the city. But in its quarter-century existence, MilkBoy’s presence and influence has crossed locales, clienteles and genres. It’s even swapped out one set of beverages for a different drink menu.

The bar and its siblings defy neat narratives of heritage and change: They’re always changing.

Producer Tommy Joyner first opened

Milkboy in 1994 as a second-floor recording studio on Fifth Street near Olney. Then, Joyner spent the early-aughts a far cry from North Philadelphia, moving the studio operation and a coffeeshop to the Main Line cities of Ardmore and Bryn Mawr.

As word of a live music revival pulsated through the heart of the city, Joyner pulled up stakes again. MilkBoy Studios moved back into the city and became a workshop for the likes of Meek Mill and Silk Sonic. Milkboy’s Chestnut Street location, opened in 2011, traded coffee for far stronger fare — beer, whiskey, whatever. And a second bar-slash-venue sits on South Street, squarely within the city limits.

Lauren DeLucca has worked at no fewer than two MilkBoys in a veritable roulette wheel of jobs: A sound engineer for a few years, a receptionist at the studio for a few others. But one moment that stuck out in her mind was the day rapper Lonnie R. Lynn, also known as Common, perused archives held in the Arch Street studio.

“He was like, ‘Man, a lot of this stuff never even got released,’” DeLucca said.

“Then he was kind of reminiscing about coming through that same studio a couple of decades ago.”

Even their clientele is ever-shifting: Indie metalheads, to the extent that they still exist, one night. Bisexual former women’s basketball standouts for an acoustic set the next.

Milkboy has even become a spot for local Green Bay Packers fans: Early in its Chestnut Street tenure, a Wisconsinite noticed one of the barbacks put the Packers on every autumn Sunday, Reed said. She brought friends. They brought acquaintances, who in turn drew other local cheeseheads. Before long, the influx had turned the Chestnut Street Milkboy into the East Coast’s premiere Packers bar — all while the Eagles won a pair of Super Bowls.

But, hey: Once the Eagles bounced the Packers from the playoffs in January, Milkboy’s cheeseheads began cheering for a slightly lighter hue of green.

“Green Bay fans are the nicest peo-

JADON GEORGE / THE TEMPLE NEWS Milkboy is located at the corner of Chestnut and 11th streets.

ple,” Chestnut Street general manager Anna Reed, herself an Eagles fan, said.

“They’re so nice. They’re so friendly.

They just want to share their joy, win or lose.”

One thing has remained consistent for the Milkboy since the Chestnut Street location first opened in 2011. Its hours stretch from 7 a.m. one day to 2 a.m. the next — all but 30 minutes of the time at which Philadelphia restaurants can legally serve alcohol.

Jefferson Hospital sits just across the street, Reed explained. For the overnight team, 7 a.m. might as well be 5 p.m. Dozens of Jefferson doctors, nurses and staff have come to know the Milkboy’s servers and bartenders. And they’ve saved Milkboy customers from medical emergencies more than once.

“We had a customer have, unfortunately, a heart attack,” Reed said. “What was fortunate about that is, there were

about 30 nurses and doctors in the building that helped him — knew the correct procedure until the ambulance could get here.” jadon@temple.edu @jgeorgescribe

The Temple News

BAR GUIDE

PAGE 27

BAR GUIDE

Spelunking into Philly’s underground bar scene A handful of local venues their transgressive magic remains: Baseare trying to revive the local ment bars and Insomnia Cookies back speakeasy culture. rooms have taken to calling themselves

BY JADON GEORGE Features Staff Writer Taylor Swift’s character dies no more than 10 minutes into “Amsterdam,” a 1933 period piece so unprofitable and critically controversial that killing her off may have saved Swift’s career. Its other uber-famous bit player was Robert DeNiro. Half scene-stealer, half saving grace, DeNiro’s turn as a real-life decorated general who rejects a corporatist plot to install him as dictator breathed life into a film whose major stars never quite seemed to crack its morass.

The general in question, Smedley Darlington Butler of West Chester, Pennsylvania, had put down nationalist insurgencies around the world: Filipino anti-imperialists, Mexican reconquistadores, Chinese Boxers.

In the mid-1920s, Pennsylvania officials asked Butler to put down Philadelphia’s liquor industry. For nearly a half-decade after the country enacted the Prohibition, many major cities refused to take it seriously. Doctors prescribed spirits for ailments ranging from cold to chronic pain. The mafia built networks of bootleggers and speakeasies to meet public demand. And local law enforcement pocketed bribes as the price of looking away.

“Alcohol might have been illegal, but it was everywhere,” wrote American studies professor Stephen Nepa in an email interview with The Temple News.

The Fighting Quaker ordered raids on 900 speakeasies in his first two days as Philly’s public safety director and rooted out officials he deemed corrupt. But in December 1925, a chorus of local power brokers decried Butler’s closures of posh speakeasies. He resigned in disgust.

“Cleaning up Philadelphia is worse than any battle I was ever in,” Butler later said.

Speakeasies were moot once Prohibition ended in 1933. Yet the taste for

“speakeasies.” And in a narrow, winding nook on the 1700 block of Rittenhouse Square, there sits one of Philadelphia’s two most prominent modern-day speakeasies, The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company.

The Franklin, Friday night, dealt in neither: Its upper floors served as a rustic luxury hotel, governed by the ceaseless motions of a wiry, dreadlocked man named Stephen.

Yet clusters remained downstairs, at a dark green door at the lobby’s end.

“Here for the bar?” he’d ask. No passwords, cover charges or even dress codes. All they had to do was nod, and he’d wave them into a barroom dimly lit by hanging lights.

Not exactly a secret space.

Head bartender Nico Diaz long worked at Philadelphia’s other speakeasy, the Ranstead Room. The Franklin first opened in 2009, shuttered during the pandemic, and returned with a vengeance in 2022, boasting not only a fresh menu of drinks but a calendar of special events and pop-ups.

Diaz found himself drawn to the challenge of helping revive a fabled, speakeasy-style cocktail bar. And he loved juggling interactions and expectations with and from The Franklin’s customers: It was a weekend, the room was abuzz and the head bartender was constantly behind the counter, beneath a shaker or beside a customer.

“The guest exchange is probably my favorite part of what I do,” Diaz said. “It’s why I’ve been doing this for so long.”

The Temperance movement didn’t just obsess about what people consumed.

It fretted about who was allowed to consume it. The era’s press and pop culture cast Irish Catholics as unruly alcoholics, for instance; Mexican Americans found themselves associated with marijuana use. To control the use of substances was to control its users.

“There’s always been an effort, in America, to associate ethnic groups with substance abuse of some kind in an ef-

JADON GEORGE / THE TEMPLE NEWS Speakeasies like The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company call back to the mid-1920s abolitionist Philadelphia.

fort to justify prejudice, segregation and pushing them out of the mainstream,” said journalism professor Linn Washington, who routinely teaches about drugs, the press and the prevalence of ethnic stereotypes.

Temperance attempted to trim the definition of who was worthy to be American. Yet its megaphone, Henry Ward Beecher, became one of the nation’s leading abolitionists. Prohibition arose, not coincidentally, in an age of unprecedented racial terror and sexual angst. Yet speakeasies often ignored segregation laws and hosted drag performances.

Exclusivity is one thing today’s speakeasies don’t seem interested in.

“I think it’s important that the speakeasy doesn’t take itself too seriously,” said Diaz, as still more patrons from seemingly off the street streamed in and took seats. “I mean, how authentic of a speakeasy are you if you have an Insta-

gram and a website with your address?”

Butler died in Philadelphia in June 1940, convinced that his military service had been, in his words, “a racket.” His crusade against fascism had nearly gotten him court-martialed; he died as the free world careened towards a fateful collision with Europe’s authoritarians.

Imperialism, corruption, alcoholism, fascism — the banes of Smedley P. Butler’s existence. If only he could see us now. jadon@temple.edu @jgeorgescribe

BAR GUIDE

PAGE 28

The Temple News

BAR GUIDE

Community and cue balls at an Old City pool hall Buffalo Billiards remains a Beyond the pool tables, they offer a popular spot for students and variety of games, including arcade clasOld City residents. sics like Buck Hunter and pinball, along

BY MIKE NONNEMAKER Assistant Features Editor John Salvatore doesn’t have to think twice when asked what he loves most about working at Buffalo Billiards. It’s the people.

“I love my coworkers, we’re all friends,” said Salvatore, the sports bars’ manager for almost five years. “We hang out outside of work. No one leaves this job. It’s been relatively the same crew for as long as I’ve been here. It’s a super tight-knit group.”

That sense of community and consistency is exactly what has kept Buffalo Billiards thriving on Chestnut Street near Letitia in Old City for more than two decades. Known for its pool tables, affordable drinks and welcoming atmosphere, the bar has become a popular spot for college students, locals and regulars.

V

with darts and shuffleboard. Whether you’re looking to challenge friends or sit down with a drink to watch the game, there’s something for everyone, adding to the bar’s appeal as a versatile hangout spot in Old City.

Though the neighborhood around it has experienced significant change through the years, Buffalo Billiards has remained a constant. It’s a place where the staff knows the names of their regulars, and patrons know they’ll be greeted by familiar faces when they step inside the bar.

“I feel like we have good retention with regulars,” said Emily Aponte, a server at Buffalo Billiards for four years.

“People feel safe here. People feel comfortable. We have a small staff that rotates the same days, so people know exactly who they’re going to see when they come in.”

Aponte’s connection with regulars is so strong that she makes sure to inform them in advance when she’ll be away, so

S E I C O What is your favorite drink to order at the bar?

PHOTOS BY JADON GEORGE / THE TEMPLE NEWS

they’re not surprised by her absence. It’s just one of the many ways she tries to maintain a personal bond with customers.

Part of the reason Buffalo Billiards has a strong following is its ability to offer a fun and affordable night out.

The bar offers $4 drafts and $5 mixed drinks during happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. The affordable and inviting atmosphere have made the sports bar a popular spot for people looking to unwind, socialize and, of course, play a few rounds of pool.

For some patrons, it’s more than just a place to relax. It’s a mental escape from the stresses of daily life.

“I treat pool like my therapy – straight lines, corners and everything,” said Marriah Bing, an Old City resident and regular at Buffalo Billiards. “It’s like everything that’s going on in my life, so I try to do it twice a week to keep my mind clear.”

She’s not the only one to use pool as an outlet. The bar’s popular pool league offers patrons a chance to sharpen their skills and connect with fellow enthusi-

OWEN BUSH Junior film & media arts major | He/Him

“ Blue Moon ”

asts. It’s become a central part of Buffalo Billiards’ identity, bringing together regulars and newcomers in a friendly, competitive environment.

Even after facing uncertainties during the pandemic, the bar’s foundation remains the same. With loyal customers and a tight-knit staff, Buffalo Billiards continues to be a second home for many on Chestnut Street.

As the bar moves forward, Salvatore and the team are committed to keeping things the way they’ve always been – consistent, familiar and focused on what matters most: the people.

“Old City is a cool spot,” Salvatore said. “It’s like a melting pot. Whether you go to Drexel, Temple or Penn, you can meet up in Old City. With the universities and young people in the area, they can all come here and meet friends.

There’s music, games and everyone’s in a good mood.” mike.nonnemaker@temple.edu

DEESARINE BALLAYAN Graduate journalism major | She/Her

“ Tecate or Heineken ”

NAMUMBA SANTOS

ILIA BICHIKASHVILI

Junior audio & live entertainment major | He/Him

Senior biochemistry major | He/Him

“ Shirley Temple ”

“ Rum and Coke ”

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 29

FOOTBALL

What to expect from Owls’ new defense in 2025 Temple’s defense is looking to flip the script under defensive coordinator Brian Smith.

BY RYAN MACK Sports Editor

F

or much of the 2024 season, Temple’s defense struggled immensely, a recurring theme under former head coach Stan Drayton.

The team finished last in the American Athletic Conference in rushing defense, giving up 227 rushing yards per game.

While the Owls’ pass defense fared better, the unit wasn’t able to atone for its rushing faults. Temple finished fifth in the AAC in passing defense and recorded six interceptions in a four game span. However, the secondary still had its fair share of issues toward the end of the season and Drayton was fired with just two games remaining.

Former Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler was hired to replace Drayton and he brought in former Rice defensive coordinator Brian Smith to run a unit in desperate need of improvement.

The pair had never coached together before, but Smith spent seven seasons in Houston cultivating a premier defense.

Smith became so highly regarded that he was announced to be retained by newly hired Rice head coach Scott Abell. But that’s when Keeler swooped in.

“The opportunity here, just at Temple, there’s so much history and talent in the area,” Smith said. “It’s a dream job for me. It’s always a place that I kind of pinpointed as, if I ever had an opportunity to go work there and coach there and be close to home, I wanted a chance to be here because the area has so much talent, a lot of untapped and undeveloped talent.”

Temple is now preparing for the 2025 season with its fourth defensive coordinator in five seasons. Keeler has emphasized a physical brand of football and the defense will be at the forefront of making sure that happens. While spring ball has only just started, the Owls are hoping to turn their Achilles heel into a strength.

“There’s some talent out there on

LANDON STAFFORD / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple is now preparing for the 2025 season after finishing 5th in the AAC in passing defense and recorded six interceptions in four consecutive games.

defense,” Keeler said. “I’ll be really disappointed if we can’t be a top third in the league, sort of defense. That’s what we’re going to have to hang our hat on. We’re gonna have to hang our hat on playing great defense, being able to run the football play.”

That scheme will emphasize the importance of getting to the quarterback — something Temple has lacked. Temple was among the bottom of the conference in sacks last season and its pressure from the defensive line was unable to affect opposing quarterbacks. Smith will hope to change that, as his Rice defense ranked third in the AAC in sacks in 2024 and seventh in 2023.

That just means the bread and butter of the defense will have to be the secondary.

“From a competitive standpoint, I think we have a really good group of guys that want to go out and compete at a really high level,” said cornerbacks coach Henry Baker. “There’s some com-

petition out there within the room and guys are sitting there vying for their spot in depth chart, but one thing I think that they’re doing is they’re finding a way to be able to build chemistry within the room.”

The Owls lost starters from its secondary but revamped the room in the winter. Smith led a defense that was the top pass defense in the AAC last season at Rice and he’s looking to find a way to continue that at Temple in 2025.

Expect the secondary to use a man coverage look throughout next season, barring any changes. Cornerback Ben Osueke has become a leader heading into his third season at Temple and will be an important part of the group. Temple brought two FCS transfers in Omar Ibrahim from Hampton and Jaylen Castleberry from Youngstown State who will be plugged in as well.

Temple’s defense is subject to change, before it opens the season against UMass on Aug. 30. However the team is still

trying to cultivate its new culture and system before the season kicks into full gear and that comes from competition.

“I believe in breeding a culture of competition, ” Baker said. “Iron sharpens iron right now I don’t want anybody to feel too comfortable. Everybody should feel like, every time they step out there, they have a chip on their shoulder and they have something to prove. So you always want to be able to add talented guys to the room anytime you can.” ryan.mack0001@temple.edu @Ryan_mack18

SPORTS

PAGE 30

The Temple News

CREW

Owls looking to build off last year’s momentum Temple is using the shortcomings of its 2024 season as fuel in 2025.

BY RYAN MACK Sports Editor At the end of last season, Temple put an end to its year-long struggles by cruising to a second place finish in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta — the second largest regatta in the country — on May 2.

But despite finding some late season success, the Owls had still fallen short of their ultimate goal of advancing to the IRA National Championships.

Temple needed its First Varsity boat to finish first to qualify for the event but came in second behind Drexel on a photo finish. While the Owls’ second Varsity boat secured a victory in its race, it still wasn’t enough to qualify. As they prepare for the 2025 season, the team’s goal has been to continue the foundation it built in head coach Brendan Cunningham’s first season.

“It was good energy and building on the momentum coming off of last year,” Cunningham said. “I think that was the focus of this fall, was continuing that momentum that we’ve built.”

The Owls were constantly looking ahead of their opponents last season.

Instead of taking it day by day, the team had their sights set on IRA’s — something that eventually came back to bite them, said rower Sebastian Rawson.

Cunningham brought in Michael Moore, a Temple Crew alum and Olympian in the 1992 Summer Olympics, to talk to the team before the Owls’ first expedition. Moore harped to the team about the importance of the hard work they put in before and during the season.

Temple is now primed to build on the success if found at the end of last year during its upcoming 2025 season. “[Moore] told us that the crews that win Dad Vails are not the crews that wake up feeling good and they’re feeling like this is they’re going to shock the world,’” Rawson said. “‘They’re the teams that in the bitter colds in March and February, that’s when the training is tough and the mornings are not very nice to you, those the teams that work

COURTESY / THE TEMPLE NEWS

hard, then the fruits of their labor will show up at Dad Vails.’ I think that’s a true testimony to what rowing is.”

The team’s mindset has completely changed going into the season after the program went through an adjustment period during Cunningham’s first year.

Many players struggled to buy into the new culture he was trying to set and it took a while for them to get fully on board. However, everybody went into winter training motivated and ready to hit the ground running.

The veterans on the team are a big reason why the motivation spiked.

Twelve seniors are returning for the spring season and their demeanor will set the tone of the fall. Despite rowing under the old regime, they helped usher in a new era and the rest of the team took notice.

“I feel like all of us are really joined together on having the same goals,” said senior captain Kevin Harvell. “We kind of discussed that with Cunningham at the beginning of the season in the fall.

Our goals for the season and then being able to have the same overall goal and aspect for the team itself.”

The underclassmen have learned from the older athlete’s teachings during the offseason. With Cunningham’s culture in full effect, the younger players have seen what it takes to win and want to ensure the same heartbreak doesn’t strike again this season.

Rawson was on the second varsity boat and witnessed the first varsity boat’s photo finish. Knowing they were so close to punching a ticket to IRA’s has been fuel for this season.

“Watching from the sideline since I was in the second varsity boat, I was able to see this margin,” Rawson said. “Being in that position and being able to see it from that angle really motivated me and then motivated the guys around me who were also watching it. Either if they were in the boat or watching from the sidelines.”

Temple’s goal since the fall has been to reach a championship, and they

think their preparation has been strong enough to make it happen. After being within seconds of accomplishing that dream last season, the sense of urgency to do so this year is even higher.

“Coming off of last year was kind of like a stepping ground,” Harvell said.

“We of like saw what we can do, how we could push ourselves to go further. We knew how we could be able to push ourselves to do more and be able to compete at a higher level.” ryan.mack0001@temple.edu @Ryan_mack18

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 31

FENCING

Novoseltseva makes history to cap off Owls career Anna Novoseltseva has qualified fied for the NCAA Championships for She won 37 of her 63 bouts that year to “Every practice we always get 1% better for the NCAA championships all a fourth time, a feat only seven other qualify for the championships where she and that’s perfect.” four years. fencers in Temple history have accom- finished 21st out of 24 total foil competNovoseltseva started her career at

BY COLIN SCHOFIELD Assistant Sports Editor During the first three years of her career, foilist Anna Novoseltseva quickly became one of Temple’s top fencers. She racked up 132 wins on a team that was among the best in the country. Novoseltseva qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of her first three seasons and solidified her status in the record books.

However, there was still something missing in her performances.

Novoseltseva wasn’t her usual self during those championships. She found herself anxious and constantly thought about what could go wrong instead of envisioning success. While her championship performances were solid, she and head coach Jennie Salmon knew she could perform even better with an improved mindset.

This season, Novoseltseva quali-

CONTINUED FROM 32 LACROSSE The first quarter has typically been kind for Temple as they remain competitive for the first 15 minutes. But things tend to fall apart after the opening quarter, as Wright’s absence begins to show and the offense stalls. The defense also suffers, facing relentless pressure from opposing offenses.

“Our biggest thing is just playing a full four quarters,” King said. “We just have to stay focused and really not let up the pressure once we’re in games and then capitalize off our good moments, really just focusing on the little wins and making it a domino effect so we can get runs within games.”

Because of injuries and roster turnover, the Owls’ underclassmen have had to step up. One of those players has been midfielder Sarah Gowman. She didn’t play at all last season as a freshman but

plished. Novoseltseva entered this year’s competition with a completely different mindset and capped off her historic career on a high note. She finished 19th in her final NCAA Championships and showed the toughness and resilience that made her successful throughout her career.

“I see it in her eyes,” Salmon said.

“In the past, it’s been more anxiety and thinking about the what ifs. Worrying about what could happen or what could go wrong. This year she looks like ‘I’m ready, let’s go.’ I just gave her an individual lesson and the look in her eyes is like none I’ve ever seen. She’s ready.”

That fire in her eyes was exactly what Novoseltseva needed to improve her performance at the NCAA championships even more. She has elevated her play to another level at the event each year and took yet another leap this time.

Novoseltseva experienced natural nerves as a freshman facing off against some of the best fencers in the country.

itors. The next year, Novoseltseva took a slight step back on paper by finishing 22nd, but she still felt as if she belonged against the cream of the crop.

“It’s important for me to be smart,” Novoseltseva said. “I have fenced these people a million times and in previous years, I’d be spooked about facing them.

Now that I know how they fence I can analyze their fencing. I can just be confident in my abilities and be confident that I can beat anyone. I’m not scared of anyone.”

Novoseltseva saw significant improvement on the mat at the NCAA championships last season. She finished 15th and racked up 11 wins, nearly as many as she had in the previous two years combined. The experience from the last three years has allowed Novoseltseva to learn to prepare herself on and off the mat.

“She takes practice really seriously and that’s a great characteristic to have as an athlete,” said foilist Constanca Dimas.

Temple with a bang. From there, she could have either stayed on an upward trajectory or fizzled out in the back half of her time in the Cherry and White.

She made sure that her career was the former and became one of the best fencers in Temple history.

“Anna’s trajectory is so admirable because so often really strong athletes come into fencing and they come in hot,” Salmon said. “In their freshman and sophomore years, they’re high level recruits and they hit it hard. Then life and school and all these things trickle in and you see those athletes kind of peter down in their career. Anna is that rare athlete that has gotten better every single year as a fencer.”

has taken on an important role in her sophomore season.

Gowman has started in eight of nine games this season and has scored eight goals, contributed eight assists and is second on the team in points with 16.

She has leaned on the upperclassmen, who have been more than willing to share their knowledge and experience.

“It’s important to note that we’re growing every game,” Gowman said. “In practice, out of practice, always communicating and talking about what we can do better and how we can capitalize off of the opportunities that we have but it just never stops, which is a good characteristic of our team.”

While the offense hasn’t been able to produce goals consistently, the defense has fared even worse. Temple allows 14 goals per game, has given up the fourth most total goals in the country and ranks 104th in the country in scoring defense. The Owls’ opponents have

151 more shots this season and they have been outscored by 50 goals.

Grollman is the reason why Temple hasn’t faced more blowouts. The goalkeeper is eighth in the nation in saves and has topped her career-high saves per game twice this season. Grollman was named AAC goalkeeper of the year in the preseason poll and has proved why, saving 18 shots against UMBC on March 1 and 19 against South Florida on March 15.

“Defensively, we’re just trying to push our offense to its limits so they can see the best defense at practice,” Grollman said. “It goes the other way around too, offensively it is trying to give us as a defense a good scout for the other team so we can also be as prepared as possible for those teams.”

Despite the season not going the way the Owls envisioned so far, their conference slate is just starting. The youth on the roster is evident, but so is the talent.

If Temple can make the necessary adjustments, its season could turn around.

The Owls have struggled mightily on defense despite the efforts from Grollman and Wright’s injury has hindered the offensive output for the rest of the team. Although the season has been a struggle, Temple hasn’t lost sight of their championship aspirations.

“I don’t think our expectations have changed at all, if anything it’s pushed us to work even harder and be even better.

Obviously, losing is never easy,” Grollman said. “Every single one of us on that team wants to get to the championship, wants to win every single game possible and we’re putting in the work to get to that championship come May.”

colin.schofield@temple.edu @ColinSchofield9

austin.boynes@temple.edu

SPORTS

PAGE 32

The Temple News

LOOKING FOR

I M P ROV E M E N T Temple Lacrosse has struggled out of the gate but is looking to find momentum as conference play ramps up.

BY AUSTIN BOYNES Lacrosse Beat Reporter Heading into this season, Temple Lacrosse felt confident after securing an American Athletic Conference tournament appearance from last season. But after losing 11 players, including four of the team’s top five scorers, it knew repeating that success was going to be a difficult task.

The goal wasn’t completely out of reach with a number of key players returning to head coach Bonnie Rosen’s squad, including attacker Amelia Wright, midfielder Erin King and goalkeeper Taylor Grollman.

Wright, who was expected to take the offensive lead, did so with 12 goals in the first three games.

But Temple’s hopes of returning to the AAC tournament took a blow when Wright went down with an injury against St. Joe’s on Feb. 19.

The Owls (2-7, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) have fallen off a cliff since, going 1-5 following her injury.

“It’s not necessarily about filling Amelia’s shoes just because we’re all very different players and nobody is going to replicate her skill,” King said. “I think adjusting and picking up in other places to try to pile on more goals but just trying to build on everyone’s strengths so that we can be a stronger team.”

LACROSSE | 31

KAYLA MCMONAGLE / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple’s chances of returning to the AAC tournament disappeared after attacker Amelia Wright went down with an injury against St. Joe’s on Feb. 19.