Volume 92, Issue 14

Page 1

A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921.

temple-news.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

VOL. 92 ISS. 14

New library first step in master plan Library will replace Barton Hall in center of campus. JOHN MORITZ News Editor

A After blown chances, a conference win The football team ended its season 2-10 with a 41-21 conference win at Memphis. PAGE 22| HUA ZONG TTN

Eight-year vet returns to classroom Silas Adams began his undergrad after serving and aims to help other veteran students.

meeting between the Board of Trustees and Temple administrators on Nov. 20 to review the Visualize Temple master plan led to the final decision to place a new library in the area of the tobe-demolished Barton Hall, a strategic move in a plan that aims to create an academic center of campus. The site is the final location after more than a year of planning and speculation that moved the library from its original destination on the other side of North Broad Street. Conceived as a “signature building” on North Broad Street and replacement to the aging Paley Library as part of Temple’s 20/20 master plan in 2009, the new library’s original location was planned for the area occupied by the

Student Pavilion. That changed in January when President Neil Theobald took over as head of Temple’s administration. Theobald said last spring that the library design would be moved to the east side of campus to prevent a meshing of the athletics prevalent west of Broad Street and academics on the east side. This fall, despite repeated denials from members of the president’s administration, several media outlets, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, reported that the university was planning to update Paley Library instead of building a replacement. Jim Creedon, senior vice president of construction, facilities and operations, said with the exception of the location of the new library, no plans for Visualize Temple have been formalized. However, he said the university

LIBRARY PAGE 3

Katz pledges $25 M amid fundraising shift Surprise donation comes as university pushes for cash.

CLAIRE SASKO The Temple News

Silas Adams didn’t rest on the day his wisdom teeth were removed. At 18, he continued as if it were any other day in Marine Corps boot camp. “They were removed early in the morning, and I went right back to doing everything everyone else was doing – running, pushups and pullups,” the now 27-year-old veteran and Temple sophomore said. Adams is a finance and risk management major. He’s also one of 690 veterans at Temple who are transitioning from a military to college lifestyle. The process is not easy, Adams said, despite Temple recently ranking tied

SEAN CARLIN The Temple News Without warning last week while he was being honored as the recipient of the 2013 Musser Award for Excellence in Leadership, Trustee Lewis Katz surprised the audience and announced that he is pledging $25 million to Temple, the largest single gift in uniAdams was deployed for an eight-year tour before he began pursuing his versity history. finance and risk management degree.| AJA ESPINOSA TTN Katz’s pledge came as a shock to the university community, as President for No. 24 in U.S. News & World Re- spectrum,” Adams said. “It’s a stark Theobald said, “We had no idea. I have port’s Top 52 “Best Colleges for Vet- change and it’s not like we’re weaned not spoken with anyone who knew he erans.” off the military lifestyle.” was going to do that.” “As far as lifestyle and culture, we As president of the Temple Multiple attempts to reach Katz experience two different ends of the ADAMS PAGE 16 for comment were unsuccessful. It’s

Alter trusteeship safe pending FDIC lawsuit Business school namesake sued after his bank failed. JERRY IANNELLI The Temple News Despite facing a potential $219 million fine from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Dennis Alter’s status as a Temple trustee seems both literally and figuratively set in stone. Alter, 71, had been the chairman and chief financial officer of Advanta Bank Corp. since taking over the business – then known as Teacher’s Service Organization – from his father in 1971. The business began offering credit cards to small businesses after a brief foray into sub-prime mortgage lending around the turn of the new millennium, according to a complaint filed by the

FDIC. In 2007, the bank, based in Spring House, Pa., had more than $420 million in capital and $1.03 billion in liquid assets. Philly.com listed Alter’s total compensation as CEO of Advanta as $4,189,342 in 2006. The FDIC is now seeking to recover more than $219 million from Alter and his associates due to “gross negligence and breach of fiduciary duty” following the bankruptcy of Advanta in 2009, according to a complaint filed by the FDIC in civil court in June. Alter, who holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Temple, donated $15 million to the university in

ALTER PAGE 3

Washington someday. “There’s not much, I don’t think, I can do except apply like everybody else does and wait to hear back,” Brown said when asked how he would get such a job. “Make sure I keep up with the news and everything else goEVAN CROSS ing on.” Assistant Sports Editor As is the case with most majors, students in the criminal justice proMorkeith Brown wants to be a Se- gram are encouraged to intern while in cret Service agent. school in order to gain experience in He’s had a number the field they want to of jobs already, includenter. Brown said his What’s Next? ing U.S. Army mefootball experiences The third of a series examining life after chanic, forklift driver were time-consuming graduation for student-athletes. and Arena Football and he didn’t have League defensive end. the chance to intern. He’s currently trainWhen asked if he thought his time at ing to become a professional wrestler. Temple adequately prepared him for a But the former Temple defensive end, criminal justice career, Brown said it who graduated in 2011 with a degree BROWN PAGE 19 in criminal justice, wants to work in

Morkeith Brown has a criminal justice degree and is pursuing a career in professional wrestling.

LIVING - PAGES 7-8, 16-18

Craft Beer Enthusiast Club approved

Expression through poetry

The Blue Horizon, a legendary boxing arena on North Broad Street, is set to become a hotel and entertainment complex. PAGE 2

A new student club was approved by Student Activities. The group hopes to unite students with a love of craft beer. PAGE 7

Philadelphia youth practice slam and spokenword poetry with Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement. PAGE 9

OPINION - PAGES 4-5 Can schools assess ‘learning?’

KATZ PAGE 3

From the football field to the squared circle

NEWS - PAGES 2-3, 6

New plans for Blue Horizon

unclear what Katz’s donation will be used for. Though the announcement came as a surprise, it underscores a renewed commitment to fundraising at Temple, a trend started in the months before Theobald took office in January. Sparked by the Temple Made campaign and a $100 million initiative for student scholarships last year, Temple raised $65.8 million, the highest total in university history. This year, however, administrators are hoping to break that record and raise at least $73.5 million. As of last week, the university has raised $21.1 million this fiscal year –

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - PAGES 9-15

Happy Holidays from all of us at The Temple News will return to newsstands Jan. 21

Former defensive end and tight end Morkeith Brown. | PAUL KLEIN TTN FILE PHOTO

SPORTS - PAGES 19-22

Play in The American begins


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