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temple-news.com
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2013
VOL. 92 ISS. 8
TENSE STANDOFF ENDS SAFELY SUSPECT DETAINED ALIVE No injuries reported after day-long standoff on Willington Street. JOHN MORITZ News Editor
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Philadelphia police SWAT and counterterrorism officers gather on Berks Street Sunday, Oct. 13, during the 17-hour standoff between police and an armed student. The standoff ended at 2 a.m. Monday morning with the student detained alive. | HUA ZONG TTN
Students scramble to find alternate housing
Residents of Willington Street complain about poor response. JOHN MORITZ CINDY STANSBURY The Temple News As the standoff between police and an armed student reached the witching hour Sunday night, the streets around the barricaded 1800 block of North Willington Street lay mostly deserted, though a few displaced stragglers remained looking for a place rest their heads. Kelly Martin, a junior criminal justice major, walked past a line of yellow police tape and stopped to observe the scene before continuing on in her quest to find lodging for the night.
BOT adds 4 members in general meet Lenfest addition means two Inquirer owners on board.
“I’d take a dorm over nothing,” Martin said, adding that several friends had offered her spare clothes and a spot on their couch. “Obviously they can’t give you much info [about the armed standoff],” Martin said. “But it would be nice if they could give you a place to stay.” The 17-hour standoff left university officials scrambling Sunday night to find alternative housing for students who were not allowed back into their homes until after 2 a.m. Early on, Campus Safety Service officials said they were looking into the possibility of accommodating students in spare residence hall rooms, but when it was discovered that they were fully booked, space was made for a limited amount of students in the Student Center. An official with CSS nighttime watch con-
firmed shortly after midnight that blankets were ready to be provided to displaced student residents of Willington Street in the lobby of the Student Center, where couches could accommodate sleeping space for 20 to 25 students. As of 1 a.m., no students had taken up the offer. Many students took to social media to say that they were having trouble contacting the university to find out where to go. “The only information I got directly from
STUDENTS PAGE 6
ONLINE - Student reaction Watch students talk about their reaction to the armed standoff on Willington Street at temple-news.com/multimedia. EDITORIAL Where was the university during the standoff? PAGE 4
17-hour standoff between police and an armed Temple student who officials described as “suicidal” ended early Monday morning with the suspect being detained in safe condition, police at the scene said. The student, a 26-year-old male, was talked out of the basement of his North Willington Street row house around 2 a.m. after a day-long standoff that began at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday morning, Oct. 13. Sgt. Frank McFillin of the Philadelphia Police Department said the student was taken to the Episcopal Campus of Temple University Hospital for evaluation. Episcopal is the behavioral sciences wing of TUH. As of yesterday, Oct. 14, Acting Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said no charges had been brought against the student, though he said Central Detectives and the District Attorney’s office were investigating. The media relations office for the Philadelphia Police Department was closed yesterday due to the Columbus Day holiday. The incident began when officers responded to calls from concerned family members that their son was in need of help. Officers responded to the house, 1852 N. Willington St., and found the student inside with a gun, Philadelphia Police Department Homeland Security Chief Joe Sullivan said. Sullivan said the student was alone in his apartment throughout the incident and told police they had to leave when he was first confronted. Philadelphia police SWAT units were quickly brought in along with Temple Police and Philadelphia firefighters to clear the scene and cordon off the area around the 1800 block of North Willington Street. Due to the armed standoff, police shut down access to the 1800 block of North Willington Street and the 1600 block of Berks Street. While police told students living on those blocks to remain in their homes on the second floor, several
STANDOFF PAGE 6
Government shutdown, more work Feistman’s class used the shutdown as a class debate topic. JOHN CORRIGAN The Temple News
The government shutdown has prevented students from applying for loans, research grants Among a series of financial and passports. But in Gregg and development resolutions, Feistman’s Public Relations the Board of Trustees approved Management and Problems four new members at its general class, the shutdown hasn’t preassembly meeting on Tuesday, vented discussion. “We look at the rhetoric, Oct. 8 in Morgan Hall. Anthothe leadership qualities and who ny McIntyre, Joseph Coradino, might be vying for a leaderLoretta Duckworth and Gerry ship position,” Feistman said. Lenfest were each elected by a “We determine the arguments unanimous vote from the board. Lenfest, who was appointed on various sides of the issue in to serve on the board by Gov. terms of persuasion. It’s all built Tom Corbett, already has a buis- around the idea of advocacy, ness partnership with trustee which is what our department is built around.”
JOE GILBRIDE The Temple News
BOT PAGE 3
Gregg Feistman used the government shutdown as a topic of debate in his public relations class. | ANDREW THAYER TTN In his 12th year as a professor at Temple, Feistman teaches the capstone course as an “issues management” exercise for PR students. “My class is not about how to write a press release,” Feistman said. “Students act in teams as a virtual PR agency, and they have to put together a strategic
PR plan for a real client. They consider how to react to the issues that organizations face.” Matthew Barnabei, a senior public relations major, worked with his group to represent PECO before the government shutdown dominated class discussion. “We consider all parties
involved such as the GOP, the left, the Tea Party, the president, Americans in general, Boehner, et cetera,” Barnabei said. “The general consensus is that the GOP seems to be acting in a childish manner and refusing to handle things reasonably with everyone’s interests in mind. We often point out how Congress still gets paid and that the 27th Amendment makes it illegal for them to not receive pay during shutdowns. If there is one thing our class is absolutely certain of, it is that none of us want to be president.” By weaving topics in the public discourse throughout the class content, Feistman creates an aura of contemporary learning. “I use the media and the newspaper as a teaching tool,” Feistman said. “I’ll literally open up the paper that day and
SHUTDOWN PAGE 18
Player trial sheds light on hearings Praise Martin-Oguike cleared in court, banned on campus. JOHN MORITZ News Editor
Praise Martin-Oguike described last Monday, Oct. 7, as the “best day of my life,” after rape charges against him were dropped by the district attorney’s office. However, the former football player is still barred from returning to campus under the Student Code of Conduct. Martin-Oguike is one of several Temple football players charged with felonies in the past few years. Still, other players remain at the school and on the
TRIAL PAGE 3
NEWS - PAGES 2-3, 6
LIVING - PAGES 7-8, 16-18
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - PAGES 9-15
Building Diversity
Paws and police work
Tree House Books focuses on reading New coach tries change
Local advocacy groups protest university hiring practices on construction sites. PAGE 2
A would-be seeing eye dog is the explosives detecting canine officer on campus. PAGE 7
The local nonprofit sees increase in literacy rates since it started its after-school programs in 2006. PAGE 9
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Boyer College of Music and Dance Conwell Dance Theater
SPORTS - PAGES 19-22 Seamus O’Connor tries to increase the women’s soccer team’s credibility. PAGE 22