temple-news.com VOL. 90 ISS.15
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Provost outlines potential restructurings in White Paper Provost Englert has opened up talks for changes to cut costs, increase efficiency. BRIAN DZENIS Editor-in-Chief Prompted by the latest financial squeeze from Harrisburg and a desire to streamline various academic processes around the university, the provost’s office has released the White Paper on Restructuring, a 25-page document that covers
a wide range of topics, such as proposing measures that ensure students graduate in four years, restructuring schools within Temple in an effort to cut costs and revenue enhancement strategies for the university. “When we look at issues such as restructuring, one of the first things we look at is our administrative structures and our administrative organization and quite frankly, we want to make certain that we continue to streamline ourselves as much as possible,” Provost Richard Englert said. “When we can streamline operations, we can
save costs and we can keep tuition down at reasonable levels, so there are many things that are motivating us.” The White Paper is the product of more than six months of dialogue between the provost, the faculty senate and other members of the faculty. Four schools that were mentioned as possible candidates for restructuring were Tyler School of Art, Boyer College of Music and Dance, the School of Communications and Theater and the College of Education. Three of the four schools currently have interim deans and
the goal is to find a new way to better organize the structure of those schools before searching for new deans. “We have some schools that have interim deans right now, so what I wanted to do before we move forward with the dean searches is to make sure we’re organized the way we want to be organized, so I’ve raised the question that other universities have done certain things and what should we do,” Englert said. “Before we hire a new dean in a particular position, do we have that unit structured the way we want it to? Hiring a new
dean is a major undertaking and we need to be certain that we’re organized the way we’d like to be when we hire a new dean.” For Tyler and Boyer, there are two proposed plans in addition to electing to keep the two schools separated with two separate deans. One potential plan involves combining Tyler and Boyer into a unified college of fine and performing arts under one dean and one administrative office. The other involves Tyler and Boyer again being led by one dean, but the two schools would retain their distinct name and brand
and also have their own director. For SCT, there’s three proposals in addition to keeping its current format. SCT could report to the College of Liberal Arts, which according to the White Paper, could eliminate possible course redundancies across the two schools in social and behavioral sciences and the humanities. Another option includes making SCT part of a center for fine, performing and communication arts, where the school
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Bridging Mountains
Pa. freezes funding to university
The Temple News examines mountaintop removal coal mining, a controversial practice that student activists have been challenging on Main Campus, and the environmental and health concerns associated with it.
Low state revenues leave 5 percent of Temple’s funding in question.
ANGELO FICHERA News Editor
T
here were no mountains in sight outside the windows of the mezzanine of Gladfelter Hall as a group of activists sat in a circle, the late afternoon sun pouring into the room. Even so, the foreign landscape was the purpose of discussion. The conversation moved swiftly as the six activists briefly touched upon state appropriations to higher education, before focusing their attention on the university’s relationship with PNC Bank. That relationship—and its far off tie to a specific form of coal mining—is the focal point of a campaign the group has been advancing for months. The discussion, among members of Temple Community Against Mountaintop Removal, was indica-
AMELIA BRUST The Temple News In light of disappointing state revenue, Temple is facing another cut in state funding. Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue Daniel Meuser reported on Jan. 3 that the Commonwealth “General Fund collections total $11.6 billion, which is $486.8 million, or four percent” less than expected. Gov. Tom Corbett’s office anticipated $12.1 billion in revenue halfway through the 2011-12 fiscal year, according to the department. Keeping to state requirements for a balanced budget, the shortfall resulted in a nearly $160 million state spending freeze from Gov. Corbett’s Budget Office. Temple saw an estimated 5 percent reduction in state funding, equal to about $7 million. The freeze will remain in place “until revenue collections improve,” Corbett said in a news release on Jan. 4. “We have to look at how can we best structure and restructure parts of the university,” Provost Richard Englert said. Across Temple, financial aid, advising, counseling, security and public safety will not be affected, university communications announced. The univer-
tive of the group’s efforts to use the university’s prominence as leverage to achieve what they describe as social and environmental justice–or at least attempt to do so.
BLASTING MOUNTAINS
Mountaintop removal coal mining, also known as mountaintop mining, is a form of surface mining that includes blasting the tops of mountains with explosives in order to access coal seams underneath. The excess waste, topsoil and rock is often placed in adjacent valley fills. Since the process—practiced in the Appalachian region of states such as West Virginia and Kentucky—began, it has come under scrutiny by scientists and environmentalists. Dr. Laura Toran, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, said mountain-
top removal coal mining has been known to be detrimental to the environment for years. “Sometimes we make mistakes [that cause environmental damage], and we can sort of fix them afterwards. It’s pretty hard to fix the damages by mountaintop removal,” Toran said. “Because they remove the materials from the mountains and dump them into the valley, there’s two different environments that are being impacted there.” “You’ve removed a lot of trees and disturbed an ecosystem on the mountain, but then you’ve dumped all this [material] in the valley,” Toran added, such as introducing chemicals into the streams. Estimates reported by the Environmental Protection Agency suggest approximately 2,000 miles of headwater streams have been buried by mountaintop removal coal mining.
In January 2010, an article titled “Mountaintop Mining Consequences” appeared in Science Magazine, outlining adverse environmental impacts, such as declines in stream biodiversity, flooding, sulfate pollution and human exposure to airborne toxins and dust. Although the mining process is regulated by the Clean Water Act, Toran and fellow experts contend that the “outdated” policy falls short of real oversight. “We don’t have a lot of political will to update [laws and regulations],” Toran said. “It has to be enforced and all states are cashstrapped.” The Science article, authored by more than a dozen scientists, recommended new permits for mountaintop removal coal mining not be
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FUNDING PAGE 2
OPINION CRIMINAL CHECK, p. 5 One out of three Americans are arrested before the age of 23. Daniel Craig argues this statistic shouldn’t be accepted.
LIVING GOING PRO, p.7 Former guard for the women’s basketball team, Fatima Maddox, recently joined the Harlem Globetrotters.
A&E PHILLY POET, p.9 TTN talks to Sonia Sanchez, a presidential fellow, who was named Philly’s first poet laureate by Mayor Michael Nutter last month.
SPORTS SCOUTING LA SALLE, p.20 The men’s basketball team prepares to face a balanced La Salle team at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at home.
Remodeled halls sport new basketball facilities Parts of the remodeled Pearson-McGonigle halls will open this week. CONNOR SHOWALTER Sports Editor The time for the men and women’s basketball teams to utilize the new, separate practice courts that were constructed above Pearson and McGonigle Halls as part of a $58 million project has arrived. Due to “added scope” and other details that were added to the courts last April, the 20/20 construction project was extended about three months, Facilities Management Director Bob Siegfried said. According to the university’s website, the project was
NEWS DESK 215-204-7419
estimated to be completed in September 2011. “I know that there were talks that we were moving in the fall, but because of delays I know our seniors were a little worried that they would never get in there,” women’s basketball coach Tonya Cardoza said. “So they are really excited about moving in and being able to shoot whenever they want.” Both teams said they will be able to use the new basketball courts and facilities starting this week. The third floor of the addition will consist of a new weight room, film study room, athletic training space and locker rooms, along with offices for the coaches. The teams currently share court space at Liacouras Center, the gym in McGonigle and room 100 in Pearson. “It’s awesome when you
have a bunch of baskets and it’s something that you can call your own and you can shoot anytime,” Cardoza said. “The most impressive thing is the courts. The courts both have windows that overlook the city, which is an unbelievable view.” Cardoza said the women’s basketball team will be able to spread out more in the new facility. “Right now we watch film in a conference room all up on top of each other [on a little television],” Cardoza said. “So now it’s like stadium seating, you feel like you’re in a movie theater. So that’s definitely a step up as well.” Men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy said that his team is also looking forward to practicing on the team’s new court.
PEARSON PAGE 3
SAM LEVINE TTN
Pearson and McGonigle Halls, under renovations, will open its basketball practice facilities this week.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Funding freeze prompts consolidation, restrictions FUNDING PAGE 1 sity will implement some of the tactics used in response to last year’s budget problems, including hiring freezes, salary freezes for non-union employees and travel restrictions. “We have a large university. We have lots of reasons for people to travel,” Englert said. “When somebody has the need to travel…that person first sends it to their dean, then I review it. And I have to decide whether it’s something we can support.” Englert’s office will combine certain positions in response to hiring freezes. Englert declined to specify which posi-
tions within the Provost’s Office will be combined. “I’m not going to say [reductions] are easy to do,” Englert said. The provost has met with faculty leadership of the various schools and colleges in light of the funding freeze. Englert cited student graduation timeliness as a strong concern among faculty. The provost will examine the days and times that classes are offered, and will work to ensure that required courses are offered before electives. “We’re constantly talking, literally every day,” Englert said.
“If the question is ‘Is this a surprise?’ no, this is what [the state does],” said Ken Lawrence, Jr, senior vice president for government, community and public affairs. Lawrence is also the Temple administration liaison for the Pennsylvania Association of State-related Students. PASS brings together student representatives from Lincoln University, Penn State, University of Pittsburgh and Temple to advocate for higher education funding from the Commonwealth. Temple Student Government Vice President of External Affairs Elliot Griffin is currently the PASS executive director.
TSG officers had two conference calls with PASS members since the end of the Fall 2011 semester, and will travel to Lincoln on Jan. 20 for their semester conference. TSG Student Body President Colin Saltry said that before the group’s Jan. 31 rally in Harrisburg, TSG will host a PASS pep rally in the Student Center atrium on Jan. 24, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Corbett will make his budget address for the 2012-13 fiscal year on Feb. 7. Amelia Brust can be reached at abrust@temple.edu.
JACOB COLON TTN
Students rallied in Harrisburg last February for funding to higher education. A similar rally will take place Jan. 31.
School mergers TUHS affiliation with Fox Chase to benefit offered in report cancer research, medical students’ studies PROVOST PAGE 1 could go into more areas of design and multimedia. The third proposal involves having SCT “sharpen its focus” as a communications school while film and media arts and theater become integrated with the visual and performing arts across Temple. For the College of Education, it may become affiliated with the College of Health Professions and Social Work, become part of the CLA or merge with SCT to form a new college. The college also has the option to remain as is. However, Englert said restructuring is not limited to those schools. “When I talk about restructuring, I’m talking about a number of things, I’m not talking about a particular school or a couple of schools, I’m talking about a number of things,” he said. “I understand that people may gravitate toward a particular piece of this, but I emphasize that this is a broad set of activities and initiatives here, some we may be able to implement quickly, some might take a little more time, some ideas could just turn into
different ideas, this is really a set of a number of initiatives and proposals, it’s not just one proposal.” The main motivation for writing the White Paper is not so much determining which school answers to what dean, but determining which structures can enhance the student experience, Englert said. “I would hope that students would be able to graduate in a more timely fashion. I would hope students have a greater opportunity to interact with our top faculty members, even in their first two years here because one of the things we want to do is make sure our students can interact of our sterling full-time faculty, even in Gen-Ed courses,” Englert said. “I hope a number of the processes in which a student interacts with the university will be smoother, more direct and more service oriented.” Brian Dzenis can be reached at
brian.dzenis@temple.edu.
The university signed an agreement in December with Fox Chase Cancer Center. KATE KELLY The Temple News As part of an initiative to expand Temple’s cancer treatment and research program, the university signed an agreement in December 2011 to form an affiliation with Fox Chase Cancer Center. Fox Chase is one of only two National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the region. “It is a unique resource in the Philadelphia area,” said Dr. Larry Kaiser, president of Temple University Health System. “It is an outstanding cancer center in that it has both a research mission as well as a clinical mission. It has outstanding clinicians as well as outstanding cancer researchers.” “The Fox Chase family of corporations will become part of the TUHS family of corporations at the time of closing and this will give us an opportunity to meet our mission of prevailing over cancer,” Fox Chase
CEO Michael Seiden added. Fox Chase is located in Jeanes Hospital, where Temple’s bone marrow program is also housed. Seiden said the partnership with Temple will allow his institution to better utilize the shared space. “Specifically, it will give us additional space for clinical expansion by leasing some space within Jeanes Hospital,” Seiden said. “Because Jeanes Hospital is within the family of the TUHS corporations, instead of a 14-acre Fox Chase campus and a 33-acre Jeanes campus, we can start thinking of it as a 47-acre campus and what is the best way of using that campus in the years ahead as all of us think about how medicine and health care is changing and how to best serve patients who come to us for care.” Seiden also said his institution has the potential to benefit from the university’s other programs through collaborations with Fox School of Business and the Schools of Engineering and Pharmacy. “It will give us an opportunity to create academic synergy through both the cancer researchers at Temple as well as other basic science and political
science researchers at Temple,” Seiden said. “Hopefully, it will give us the opportunity to become a more robust partner with Temple in the education of students who are interested in cancer or medicine or allied healths. I look at it as a way to provide us some much needed space, to provide us research opportunities and to provide us new academic opportunities.” In addition to benefitting cancer patients in the region, Kaiser emphasized the advantages the new partnership lends to the university and students. “From the standpoint of medical students, [this is] an opportunity to do rotations at Fox Chase,” Kaiser said. “I think this sort of affiliation benefits the region as much as anything, I think that Fox Chase having a university affiliation and being a part of the University Health System allows us to better attract graduate students, postgraduate fellows, outstanding faculty members.” Kaiser added that the nascent partnership is part of his personal set of objectives for the TUHS. “When I came here last April, as part of my overall vision for the health system, I
felt that the opportunity to affiliate with Fox Chase would be a tremendous opportunity for Temple and truly be transformational for Temple,” Kaiser said. “It’s all part of the vision that I’ve outlined for where the TUHS needs to be. But it’s the work of a lot of people. We’ve got an extensive team here of finance people, our legal people, our operations people working with the Fox Chase folks.” Even though there are still some things to be finalized in the agreement, Seiden said he is excited about the opportunities the partnership offers. “It has given us an opportunity to learn about each other, to learn about the culture of the institutions we lead, to learn a little bit about our aspirations and how the resources each of us have might help each other in meeting the goals of better cancer care and better cancer research for the region,” Seiden said. Kate Kelly can be reached at kate.kelly@temple.edu.
Officials purchase domain names to preserve image In line with other universtities, Temple bought up ‘.xxx’ sites as a precaution. BRANDON BAKER The Temple News Temple has joined a slew of universities nationwide in buying .xxx domain names in order to avoid future association with salacious content. The .xxx domain, more commonly known as “dottriple-x,” serves as an up-andcoming, unfiltered web address
for x-rated content in the same vein as its .com and .org counterparts. Officially approved in March 2011 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, universities and various other organizations have since scrambled to buy-out .xxx domain names in order to protect and maintain copyright privileges. Assistant Vice President of University Communications Ray Betzner clarifies that Temple’s purchase of .xxx domain names is indicative of strictly “precautionary” measures. “Temple has always
worked to keep the Temple name as strong as possible, and part of that effort is making sure that we’re represented appropriately on the Web,” Betzner said. “We want to make sure that websites that seem like they’re from Temple University are actually appropriate.” Betzner further remarked that, unlike with universities such as the University of Kansas, which reportedly has spent nearly $3,000 on more than 200 distinct domain names, Temple has not spent more than “a couple hundred dollars” on snatching smutty domain names. “Dot-triple-x” domains
became available for public purchase early last month via official .xxx registry ICM Registry, with Temple having quickly purchased Temple.xxx and TempleUniversity.xxx addresses. Upwards of 155,000 organizations grabbed domain names in the first 24 hours of availability. The university did not comment about additional domains purchased, however. “I would prefer not to say [which domains were purchased],” Betzner said. “I don’t want to give folks out there any ideas.” ICM Registry spokesperson Jocelyn Johnson has ex-
pressed that some buyers nationwide have spent as much as $500,000 to secure major and blatantly adult-oriented domain names like gay.xxx and shemale.xxx. The new .xxx domain destination aims to isolate online adult entertainment so as to avoid unwanted content stumbling from adolescents and other unknowing users while navigating basic .com, .org and .edu domains. In addition to increasing awareness of adult content, .xxx also cleanses the virus-prone nature of adult sites by implementing free daily McAfee Malware scans for each
Alumnus left for dead after beating in Old City Family, friends search for answers in the Old City beating and killing of an alumnus. SEAN CARLIN Assistant News Editor A 2010 alumnus, Kevin Kless, was killed early Saturday, Jan. 14 after being beaten on the steps of the Second Bank of the United States on Chestnut Street.
Police said Kless was trying to pick up a cab when he shouted at a taxi. After the taxi briefly stopped, three men came out of a passing car and beat Kless. National Park Service rangers responded initially and administered first aid to Kless, who was pronounced dead later that night. The 23 year-old graduated with a degree in risk management and insurance and had recently returned to Philadelphia to start a job with the insurance broker Marsh. “He got a really good job
out of school,” risk and insurance management professor Michael McCloskey said. “He just moved on to a different job with a different company which was in another good position.” Kless was active on Main Campus and was a member of Gamma Iota Sigma, a fraternity for students in the risk management and insurance field. “He was a really good student in our risk management insurance program,” Dr. R.B. Drennan, chairman of the department of risk, insurance and healthcare management, said.
“He was a very active member of our student professional organization…and he was a good ambassador of our program. He did well when he was here and did all the right things in terms of getting himself ready to have a successful career in the risk management insurance world.” McCloskey, who is a faculty adviser for Gamma Iota Sigma, said that Kless was in the process of figuring out what direction he was headed in when his life was cut short. “I think that like a lot of students in our program, his future
was definitely in the insurance industry,” McCloskey said. “I think he was just trying to gain some experience and figure out where he was headed. The company he was working for when he died, Marsh, is the world’s largest insurance broker, so as far as having a real strong career ahead of him, he was definitely headed in the right direction.” The three assailants are still at large. Sean Carlin can be reached at sean.carlin@temple.edu.
individual .xxx site. And despite concerns from other universities both in the area and elsewhere, Temple appears relatively calm about the potentially damaging effects of .xxx associations. “I was [recently] at a conference with about a dozen other people from universities across Pennsylvania,” Betzner said. “We talked about a lot of very important issues, but this was not one of them.” Brandon Baker can be reached at
brandon.baker@temple.edu.
CORRECTIONS The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles. Accuracy is our business, so when a mistake is made, we’ll correct it as soon as possible. Anyone with inquiries about content in this newspaper can contact Editor-in-Chief Brian Dzenis at editor@templenews.com or 215.204.6737.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
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Activists challenge mining practice MOUNTAINTOP PAGE 1 issued unless new methods “can be subjected to rigorous peer review and shown to remedy” the environmental problems.
LASTING IMPACTS
result of the dust. An artist and member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a statewide direct-action organization, Chapman-Crane depicted his discontent with mountaintop removal coal mining in a sculpture, “Agony of Gaia.” The sculpture features a woman, Mother Nature, as a mountain being subjected to mountaintop removal coal mining.
But Dr. Brad Woods, an ethics educator in the Office for Research Protections at Penn State, said the impact is not limited to the environment. While receiving his Ph.D., Woods researched the human and social impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining for his BIGGER DEBATES dissertation. Arguing against mountain“My findings were that top removal coal mining, Toran there are pretty severe conse- said, must be done with regards quences on well-being and qual- to a bigger issue: energy conity of life living around moun- sumption. taintop removal from disruption “Anybody saying ‘Oh, we of daily activity, sleep because should stop doing this,’ also has of constant blasting [to] having to consider the energy issue,” [house] foundations cracked,” Toran said, noting that much of Woods said. the United States’ energy comes One of the Science article’s from coal. authors, Dr. Michael Hendryx, As the 2012 presidential also co-authored studies link- election gains momentum, caning mountaintop removal coal didates often profess a need to mining to higher decrease forrates of health eign reliance for problems, cancer energy by utiand birth defects, lizing American among resienergy sources. dents living near Paired with enmountaintop revironmental moval coal minconcerns, the ing operations in topic of energy Appalachia. extraction in An environthe U.S. is often Dr. Laura Toran / mentalist group contentious dept. of earth and a environmental science one. is currently attempting to use “Maybe if the West Virginia University we put the cost of the environstudies in a legal case to block a mental damage onto the energy permit for a mining operation in [cost], maybe we would use less West Virginia. energy,” Toran said. Woods, a Central AppaCutting energy consumplachia native with family and tion, Toran said, would have to friends in the mining business, be done in order to end some said the impoverished areas coal practices. of Appalachia typically rely Still, activists with the on coal mining jobs, although group argue that traditional unmountaintop removal coal min- derground mining is favorable ing operations require signifi- when compared to mountaintop cantly less workers than under- removal coal mining. ground mining. Toran said mountaintop Residents in coal commu- removal coal mining appears nities that express opposition safer for miners, who face seare often seen as anti-economic vere risks when mining undergrowth and are therefore mar- ground. ginalized, Woods said. Woods contested that idea. Jeff Chapman-Crane, a “The technology to keep longtime resident of Eolia, Ky., underground miners safer is said his community neighbors a there, with improved communisurface mining operation. cation in terms of if there is an Chapman-Crane said the accident underground,” Woods operation isn’t technically con- said. “However, you have residered mountaintop removal sistance both at the state and coal mining, but he still feels federal level...of people being the same effects––a cracked unwilling to force companies foundation to his house, loud to adopt this new safety equipblasting and air-filled dust. His ment.” wife, Sharman, has developed FINANCE FIXATION asthma, which they believe is a TCAMR sprung up in the
“Anybody saying ‘Oh, we should stop doing this,’ also has to consider the energy issue.”
fall, when members and Occupy Philadelphia protesters attended the Board of Trustees public meeting on Oct. 11, demanding Temple cut off ties with PNC Bank, a financier of companies engaging in mountaintop removal coal mining. The Rainforest Action Network and Sierra Club, in its 2011 “Policy and Practice” report, ranked PNC Bank as the top financier of companies engaging in mountaintop removal coal mining, followed by Citi and UBS, respectively. In December 2011, as chants in support of mountains reverberated on Liacouras Walk, three students sat-in at the on-campus branch of PNC, demanding a meeting with university administrators. Refusing to leave without an arranged meeting, the students were arrested shortly after. In 2010, PNC modified its policy in regards to mountaintop removal coal mining financing. According to its 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report, the company’s mountaintop removal coal mining-specific policy states that it “does not extend credit to individual MTR mining projects or to a coal producer that receives a majority of its production from MTR mining.” Critics of the policy claim that big coal companies rarely receive a majority of its production through mountaintop removal coal mining. PNC could not be reached for comment at press time. In response to the group’s demands for Temple to sever its relationship with PNC Bank, the university’s Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee released a statement. Temple’s “arm-length business relationship” with PNC includes payment for the bank’s services, such as tuition refund services and management of investments for fixed income securities in the university’s operating funds, the statement reads. The university does not have any direct investments in the bank. However, activists have questioned whether J. William Mills III, a board member and regional president of PNC in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, creates a conflict of interest by sitting on the board’s Investment Committee. Mills III met with the Earth Quaker Action Team, an organization with a main campaign
ANGELO FICHERA TTN
Members of Temple Community Against Mountaintop Removal met on Jan. 5 to discuss strategies of campaigning against mountaintop removal coal mining and the university’s relationship with PNC Bank, a financier of companies practicing this procedure. against mountaintop removal coal mining and PNC’s financing of practicing companies, in 2010, according to the organization’s website. Mills III declined comment for this story.
GRASSROOTS GROUPS
Many members of the TCAMR are also active in the now-evicted Occupy Philadelphia. “There has been a lot of overlap, but that’s very indicative of the general times and consciousness,” Ethan Jury, a member of the group and a Latin American Studies major, said. Brianne Murphy, one of the group’s leaders and a senior religion and anthropology major, said whether or not the group’s association with Occupy Philadelphia taints the group’s image is a matter of opinion. Murphy was arrested during Occupy Philadelphia’s eviction, just hours before the on-campus arrests at PNC Bank took place. At the University of Pennsylvania, the Penn Community Against Mountaintop Removal has also become active, working toward the same goals. Both Temple’s and Penn’s group have been motivated by the Earth Quaker Action Team’s efforts. Going forward, members of the group said at its most recent meeting, the organization will focus on activating students, engaging faculty and promoting research of mountaintop removal coal mining. Jury said he plans to show
“The Last Mountain,” a documentary highlighting the environmental concerns of mountaintop removal coal mining, to students throughout the semester. Since the student campaigns have started, the unorthodox efforts by the group to affect mountaintop removal coal mining operations have been questioned. Professor Ralph Young, Ph. D., and author of “Dissent in America: The Voices That Shaped a Nation,” said the group could be taking cues from other protests in history that targeted institutions to wield their power in addressing concerns. “For example, during apartheid in South Africa students at Harvard and other Ivy League institutions staged protests against the university’s trustees demanding that they divest themselves of stock in companies that did business with South Africa in order to force the government there to abandon apartheid,” Young said in an email. “And this did have an impact.” “I guess the Temple students who are protesting in this way might be using that as a model,” Young added. The group’s challenge of Temple to step forward against mountaintop removal coal mining is one that could be accompanied by political implications. Toran said the campaign is interesting because it challenges people “higher up, and people who deal with money” to pay attention to the environmental
issue. “Most of the time, if we can slow these things down, which...tripping up the finances does, we can find a more careful way to do things,” Toran said. “Trying to change the environmental regulations is going to be hard.” Unlike Toran’s notion, William Bergman, vice president and chief of staff, said students efforts might be more effective through focusing on new legislation. When asked if the group’s claims against mountaintop removal coal mining were valid, Bergman said he does not look into each specific campaign student protesters raise, but rather “ensure[s] they have an appropriate way to say what they want to say and get their message across.” While the university has taken a hands-off approach to the issue, arranging a Jan. 23 meeting for PNC officials and TCAMR, group members maintain that the issue should be discussed on campus. Chapman-Crane agreed. “I think a lot of action that needs to take place needs to take place outside of the coal fields,” Chapman-Crane said. More than 500 miles away from Main Campus, ChapmanCrane said college students’ activism in support of mountains is appreciated–no matter the distance or terrain. Angelo Fichera can be reached at afichera@temple.edu.
Pearson-McGonigle renovations to complete in March PEARSON PAGE 1 “Hopefully our players won’t be there all hours of the morning,” Dunphy said. “It will be a really big help to our basketball program.” The basketball coaches are optimistic that the new practice facility will help attract high school recruits in the future. “I definitely think it’s going to help,” Cardoza said. “When you look around at our conference and other schools that we recruit against, they all have their own state-of-the-art practice facility, so now we’re right up there with them.” “Our players are looking forward to it and we’re excited to show it off to the faculty, staff, recruits and anyone else who wants to come see it,” Dunphy said. The renovations also plan to complete construction on four additional basketball courts, a new rock climbing wall and fitness space for campus recreation student users, by the end
of March. The new entrance for McGonigle and Pearson is still under construction and will include retail space, which has yet to be determined, Siegfried said. A new kinesiology lecture hall on the second floor has been completed in time for this spring semester, Siegfried said. Siegfried said that the campus recreation services available at the Student Pavilion will begin to transfer to McGonigle and Pearson when the construction project is complete. “By the time the new space opens up for the Temple community, campus recreation will be able to provide new services for those who have recreation access,” Steve Young, director of campus recreation, said. Connor Showalter can be reached at connor.showalter@temple.edu. Courtesy Office of Facilities Management
Pearson and McGonigle Halls, remodeled under the university’s 20/20 plan, will open its practice facilities for the men’s and women’s basketball teams this week. Other parts of the project are expected to be completed at the end of March. The $58 million project was expected to be completed last September, according to the university’s 20/20 website.
OPINION
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Brian Dzenis, Editor-in-Chief Valerie Rubinksy, Managing Editor Angelo Fichera, News Editor Kierra Bussey, Opinion Editor Cara Stefchak, Chief Copy Editor
Becky Kerner, Web Editor Kate McCann, Photography Editor Abi Reimold, Asst. Photography Editor Lucas Ballasy, Designer Cory Popp, Designer Ana Tamaccio, Designer Joey Pasko, Designer David Hamme, Advertising Manager Tatiana Bowie, Business Manager Sarah Kelly, Billing Manager
Alexis Sachdev, Living Editor Kara Savidge, A&E Editor Connor Showalter, Sports Editor Luis Rodriguez, Multimedia Editor Sean Carlin, Asst. News Editor Joey Cranney, Asst. Sports Editor Saba Aregai, Asst. Multimedia Editor Lauren Hertzler, Copy Editor Alexandra Oliver, Copy Editor
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
The Temple News is an editorially independent weekly publication serving the Temple University community. Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News. Adjacent commentary is reflective of their authors, not The Temple News. Visit us online at temple-news.com. Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com. The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
EDITORIALS
MTR Mining
M
ountaintop removal coal mining is a form of surface mining that includes blasting the top of a mountain with explosives to access coal seams underneath. Temple Community Against Mountaintop Removal organized this fall to protest the relationship between Temple and PNC Bank, a financier of companies engaging in mountaintop removal coal mining. As Angelo Fichera explores this week in “Bridging Mountains,” p. 1, mountaintop removal coal mining has detrimental effects on the environment and on the communities in which it takes place. In its 2011 “Policy and Practice” report, the Rainforest Action Network and Sierra Club ranked PNC Bank as a top financier of companies engaging in mountaintop removal coal mining. In 2010, PNC changed its policy concerning mountaintop removal coal mining financing and states that it will not extend credit to individual mountaintop removal coal mining projects or to a coal producer that receives a majori-
I
Fiscal Pressure
t is a new year and with it comes yet another round of cuts in state appropriations. As Amelia Brust reports in “Pa. freezes funding to university” pg. 1, on Jan. 3, the university was hit with a $7 million freeze as the state brought in 4 percent less revenues than expected in the 2011-12 fiscal year. It seems the university has been preparing for both the Jan. 3 freeze and future cuts with the release of the provost office’s White Paper, a 25-page report that states the impending cuts in appropriations “are likely to continue in the years ahead and to constitute challenges to the traditional ways we operate.” As Brian Dzenis reports in “Provost outlines potential restructuring in White Paper” pg. 1, the main goals in the White Paper are to find ways to restructure various departments around the university more streamlined in an effort to cut costs and ensure students graduate in four years. Some possible candidates for restructuring are Tyler School of Art, Boyer College of Music and
Harmful environmental practices can’t always be avoided. ty of its production from mountaintop removal coal mining. But critics of the policy claim that big coal companies are not receiving a majority of the production through mountaintop removal coal mining. Additionally, TCAMR takes issue with J. William Mill III, a member of the Board of Trustees and regional president of PNC in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. The Temple News obviously discourages practices that are environmentally harmful. But we understand that it is not necessarily realistic or practical to expect the Board of Trustees to take a political stance on the issue. However, we heavily encourage individual members of the Board of Trustees and the entire Temple community to demonstrate a commitment to the environment and to sustainable practices. The Temple News always encourages student activism, and is proud of the efforts of students in trying to educate the campus community about mountaintop removal coal mining.
The Temple News advocates students to be open to restructuring options. Dance, School of Communications and Theater and College of Education. Some of the proposals related to those schools could involve combining some schools together. In September 2010, Provost Richard Englert proposed having the theater department join with Boyer. A portion of the student body reacted negatively to the idea. The Temple News editorial board at the time took the position of being willing to listen to any dialogue regarding restructuring. That position has not changed. When state funds are shrinking, the student body needs to be more willing and open to restructuring proposals than last time around. It is possible that the White Paper is a indication that the current structures of the university may not be financially viable to keep the current structure in place while keeping tuition at an affordable cost. In order to prevent a significant tuition raise, students should consider supporting restructuring proposals.
JOEY PASKO TTN
PHOTO COMMENT
PAUL KLEIN TTN Redshirt-freshman forward Anthony Lee (left), played against Dayton on Jan. 7. Freshman guard, Tyonna Williams (right) drives against St. Bonaventure player on Jan. 11.
POLLING PEOPLE Last week on temple-news.com, we asked: Do you think the war on drugs is attributed to the high incarceration rate in the U.S.?
67% 8% CITY VIEW
Yes. There are certain petty drug laws that lead to unnecessary arrests.
No, but our criminal justice system could use some reform.
21% 4%
NEXT WEEK’S POLL Are new voter ID laws necessary to prevent voter fraud?
This doesn’t affect me.
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? No. There are many other factors involved in our incarceration rate.
*Out of 24 votes
Visit temple-news.com to take our online poll, or send your comments to letters@ temple-news.com. Letters may regard any current issue but must include your full name, position and location. Students can give year and major. Submissions should be 350 words or fewer.
Pell Grant cuts limits student aid Statistics show that students take more than four years to graduate. However, the proposed Pell Grant limits the number of semesters a student may receive funding from 18 to 12. See Lauren Hertzler’s article “Pell Grants slaps restrictions on recipients” on page 7.
NOTABLE QUOTEABLE “Couples complain that the sex they thought was so incredible the first 40 times loses its spark after a year (week?).”
Victoria Marchiony “Seen & Heard” Page 15
Illustration Lucas Ballasy
COMMENTARY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
PAGE 5
High incarceration rate prompts scrutiny
I
have to confess, I’m not very good with numbers. Statistics like the death toll in Iraq, the number of starving people in the world and DANIEL the rising global climate are all CRAIG numbers that I am aware of, which After are both alarming and of severe importance. However much like many learning that Americans–I lazily assume–someone out three where between the reality of those Americans numbers and the impact they have are arrested on my consciousness, there is a sebefore the age rious disconnect. It’s not that I’m a bad person or that I don’t care, but of 23, Craig it’s more so that I can’t truly fathom argues that the those numbers, and therefore have criminal system a hard time putting them into perneeds reform. spective. Nearly one in three Americans is arrested before the age of 23, according to a study based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. I said to myself that I was really going to let this
one sink in. You know what? It did. I truly wrapped my head around the fact that a third of our young adults have a criminal record before they can be considered “real” adults. However, I didn’t come to such acceptance because of some sudden feeling of empathy. It was an easy number to swallow. Teens and college students getting arrested has become a fact of life. I, like many my age, know a few people who have been put in cuffs for something more than just a speeding ticket, whether it be pot, underage drinking or other forms of adolescent mischief. The specifics of that number, one that has jumped from less than a quarter of Americans under the age of 23 from 1965, were not available in the study that gave it, such as what crimes kids are being arrested for. One can assume
that a majority in this age bracket aren’t being arrested for white collar crimes like insider trading. Yet, it doesn’t really matter why more kids are being arrested in this country than ever before: The fact is they are. And like most disturbing numbers it serves as a mirror of our society. What does that mirror say? It says that somewhere between how kids are being raised, the current behaviors of our nation’s youth and the way the criminal justice system interprets and handles that behavior is an issue. Like most issues, there’s a fat chance that the source is a single, easily identified glitch. It is most likely a combination of many factors varying from a bad situation at home, to laws that have not adapted to changing behaviors, to poor school systems. Yet whatever the combination of reasons, criminalization is not
the answer. Much the way that a number, like one out of three before the age of 23 is just the surface of a much bigger problem and arresting youth is usually a surface fix to deeper issues. Making a third of teens and college students criminals puts a pretty damning label on a third of those who are supposed to be shaping the future of our country. In the end it’s more of a matter of perception than anything. Whether we are producing too many criminals or we need to redefine what we consider a criminal, something needs to change. Although numbers never lie, there is definitely something wrong with the current equation. Daniel Craig can be reached at daniel.craig@temple.edu.
Proposed ban on Sharia law is out of ignorance
O ZACHARY SCOTT
Scott examines the implications behind the proposed ban against Sharia law. He argues that this very proposal proves prejudice is still prevelant in society.
f all of Mark Twain’s great quotes, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme,” has always stuck out to me as especially insightful. In the wake of House Bill 2029, this quote is even more relevant. This bill, proposed by Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, aims to prevent “the application of foreign law which would impair constitutional rights.” Behind those carefully chosen words lies the real goal: to ban Sharia law. To most Americans, Sharia law is some terrifying and foreign thing. That’s because, quite frankly, they have no idea what it is. Political science professor Sean Yom who specializes in the region, gives a great explanation. “At heart, [Sharia law] is a set of principles that cover personal conduct, such as criminal punishment and family matters,” Yom said. “It is not a freestanding ‘code’ like we assume in the West. There is no ‘book of Sharia law’ because little is written in stone.” Furthermore, there is no system of implementation in America. “Because the supreme law of America is predicated upon the Constitution, no judge–even if he were a conservative Muslim trained in Sharia law–could ever promulgate Sharia law into existence,” Yom said. So if a ban on not only Sharia law but all “foreign law,” as Swanger calls it in her bill, is inher-
ent in the American legal structure, why is it necessary to legislate it? She argues that one of her primary objectives is protecting the rights of women. “My main concern is rights for women because I know that under some foreign law, women certainly don’t have the rights that they have here in our country, under our Constitution,” Swanger said in an interview with Philadelphia Weekly. While this may sound pleasant and appealing, it merely masquerades behind those pretenses. “A symbolic bill against foreign laws does nothing to protect the millions of women in this country who are raped and beaten by American citizens, not foreigners,” Yom said. The excuses that American law needs to be granted supremacy over Sharia law or that women need to be protected clearly have no reality behind them. There is only one reason why this bill was proposed, and it is as ugly as it is simple: Prejudice still exists in America. Let us not forget that the past decade has been bursting at the seams with examples of American action in the Middle East. When the average American adds all this up, they come to only one conclusion: America is really at war with the entire Arab world. When Mark Twain said “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme,” he was absolutely right. As has frequently happened
during wartime, the title of “enemy of America” has been handed out and there are some willing to act under the guise of patriotism. What we are seeing right now is history rhyming with German-Americans being forced to buy war bonds to prove their loyalty in World War I and the internment of JapaneseAmericans during World War II. If you think that this kind of thing is impossible in our modern day, then look no further than the recent protests over the TLC show “All-American Muslim.” Some “Christian-values” organizations such as the Florida Family Association, have written thousands of letters to advertisers to get them to pull funding. They believe it is “propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and presentday concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law.” Here, let me paraphrase. “I believe all Muslims are terrorists. This show portrays most Muslims as not terrorists. Quick! Get it off!” What truly angers me is that I can guarantee that I know what the people of FFA or Swanger think they are doing. They probably believe that they are “defending America” from some sort of threat. When they look in the mirror, they probably see a hero. I saw the real face of xenophobia when I was in the fifth grade. There was a Muslim girl in our class, and I remember a time when she didn’t come to school for sev-
eral days. Our teacher sat the entire class down and explained that her family had gone to McDonalds, where they were called terrorists and told to leave. Those who didn’t partake applauded when they left. I remember trying to figure out what the difference between her and me was. Everything I thought of just seemed so superficial. Introducing a bill to ban Sharia law or protesting a show on the same channel that brought us “Sister Wives” may be to a different degree, but it is still the same motivation as what that poor girl was forced to bear. We live next door to MuslimAmericans. We shop at the same grocery store with them. We sit next to them in our classrooms. And now, it is time to stand beside them and demand that the ignorant people who speak the loudest do not speak for all of us. Americans today regret our actions towards our own brothers during World War I and World War II. History has once again rhymed and presented us with a situation to avoid making the same mistake. If we don’t, and instead allow the spreading xenophobic attitude to curtail Muslim-American rights, it will go down in history as another black eye for this country.
nation. In the past year, Temple students gave the school an A- for diversity. Additionally, Temple’s ethnic heritage and international students were rated as “extremely diverse.” Of the ethnic organizations at Temple, there is an Italian Club, Arab Student Society and Polish Organization. Since my first semester at Temple, there wasn’t one class in which I didn’t sit among at least four to five students who were of different heritages. I took advantage of that environment and took the opportunity to gain insight about our cultural differences. I learned about Muslim traditions, different trends in Egypt, how crazy New Years can be in Spain and popular foods in Israel. This is my challenge for you all: Take some time out of your schedule to walk around Main Campus. Observe. Look out for different kinds of students sitting on Polett Walk, eating in the cafe, or going from one class to the next.
You will see students with different skin colors, hairstyles and clothing choices. I go from class to class not in a daze, but with my eyes wide open. I feel so privileged to attend such a diverse school, and you should too. For those of you who are like me, and appreciate Temple’s beautiful diversity, I applaud. But for those of you, who aren’t, take my challenge to heart. Really see what makes Temple so special. As a student body we need to realize and acknowledge our diversity. The dictionary.com definition of diversity is, “The state or quality of being different or varied.” That’s exactly what our school is–different and varied. There are so many clubs, organizations, and frats on Main Campus that are represented by students of different cultures. We have a basketball player from Argentina, soccer players from Finland and Barbados and tennis players from Russia, Poland and
China. Realizing that our school is so diverse will open you up to new perspectives about our school. I want to expose the student body to more of the lesser-known cultures and ethnicities on Main Campus. I am honored to go to such a diverse school and I love noticing all the beautiful faces and skin colors and styles that I see from day to day, and if you all could see that beauty too, then not only would the student body grow to be more open-minded, but we would be more accepting to learn about cultural mores and ethnicities that differ from our own.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
SHAWN HOWARD
JUNIOR
MARKETING
What is your definition of diversity ?
GRACE DICKINSON TTN
OPINION DESK 215-204-9540
“People from different walks of life coming together.”
JUDY HOLMES “A well-rounded representative of different groups of people. Temple does a pretty good job with that.”
“Teacher hiring focuses solely on the degrees teachers have earned, their GPAs and their knowledge about their content areas, but do not evaluate or prepare them on race, class and urban issues.”
Christopher Emdin, Urban Education Expert with the Huffington Post on “Five Messages From the ‘Slavery Math Problems.’”
“Maybe it was also the kind of fighting, insurgency, that produced experiences like this. You fight ghosts (IEDs, booby traps, snipers, potshots, loudspeaker recordings) and when you finally get one enemy grunt who isn’t even in a uniform, you choose to take out all the frustrations of fighting an invisible enemy on a lifeless– but symbolic–corpse.”
Alex Lemons, one-time
Marine scout sniper, Time.com, on “A Onetime Marine Scout Sniper on What His Comrades Did to the Dead Taliban.”
“Aside from the first few years of work, men still out earn women at every educational level. Much of this is because most women remain the ‘default’ parent.”
Stephanie Coontz,
author, “A Strange Stirring” in the New York Times on “It’s Not Just a Wage Gap.”
Zachary Scott can be reached at zack.scott@temple.edu.
Diversity is more than black and white “Everyone says that this school is so diverse, but it’s all black and white students.” I overhear students make that statement often, which prompted me to make students aware that diversity goes REBECCA beyond black and white. Diversity is a major factor that ZOLL makes Temple stand out. As a matZoll ter of fact, diversity is the main points out that reason that a lot of students choose to attend Temple in the first place. diversity is When students make statements more than a like the one above, I become so person’s skin aggravated and annoyed. It shows color and how ignorant some students are. that students If someone were to take a walk from one side of Main Campus to should look the other, they would probably see beyond that a majority of white and black stuclassification of dents. While those races are promidiversity. nent, students should realize diversity isn’t only classified as white and black. In 2008, the Princeton Review rated Temple’s undergraduate student body the most diverse in the
SOMEONE ELSE’S OPINION
“The power coach is a major dimension of that–football and men’s basketball coaches who’ve had a record of success over a number of years have developed a fan base and, at times, they begin to overshadow the institution itself.”
Stan Ikenberry, former
vice president of Penn State, usatoday.com, on “College coaches and power: How much is too much?”
Rebecca Zoll can be reached at rebecca.zoll@temple.edu.
SOPHOMORE
KRISTIE HERAGHTY
GRAPHIC DESIGN
SENIOR
PUBLIC RELATIONS
“Different cultures coming together. People getting to hang out with different types of people and learn from each other and experience new things.”
COMMUNITY
PAGE 6
WORD WEB...
COMMUNITY VOICE
on the
temple-news.com
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Dedicate recognition on MLK Day
Unedited for content.
Paul says on “Shorter class times lack efficiency and substance” on Dec. 7, 2011 at 2:24 p.m. I agree 50 minutes is too short. I have had night classes for the last two years doing 3 hours once a week and each week i was able to have a full understanding of the material. Also with a three hour class there is more open and focused discussion because there is not a rush to cram the material into a 50 minute class.
Joseph Mackie recognizes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with honor and reflection on King’s philosophies. KIERRA BUSSEY Opinion Editor
Yesterday marked the 26th anniversary since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was designated as a federal holiday in 1983. Joseph Mackie of Cheltenham Township recognizes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Derek Williams says on “Columnist comments of difference between gay marriage beliefs in the as a day to never be forgotten. U.S. and abroad” on Dec. 6, 2011 at 1:10 p.m. “Martin Luther King Day is very important,” Mackie said. “First and foremost I am humbled by the brave GLBT men and women of yesteryear This is true, but I wish to add to the central argument of this article: that’s the only nationally recognized AfriJust as brave as, if not braver than, these to whom you rightly accord recognition, is those members can American leader ever so he deserves his of the heterosexual majority who stood with us in our yet-to-be-concluded fight for equal access to the just honor, especially with the recent dedigoods and services we have willingly participated in creating. Our straight friends had nothing to gain, and much to loose, yet they put their careers and their families in cation of the King memorial.” harm’s way in support of us. Without this, we would still be a hated minority, scapegoated for everything Moreover, in 1994, Congress took the from earthquakes to child abuse. The other thing I would like to add is that as a minority, we often have to be twice as good to be thought celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of as even half as good. Bad news travels ten times faster than good. Being good citizens means avoid- a step further by designating it as a national ing self harming behaviours like smoking, other substance abuse and unsafe promiscuous sex still responsible for making us the most represented demographic in Western HIV/AIDS statistics.
day of service. “It’s a great day to get out and give back to the community because he was all about giving back to the community––strengthening the black community as well as all people together,” Mackie said. “It’s very imperative that we keep that legacy alive.” Mackie said that King’s philosophies will always continue to live on. “I appreciated his initiative to bring all people of all colors, genders and sexual orientation together for a common purpose, which was the equality of all [the American Dream],” Mackie said. Kierra Bussey can be reached at kierrajb@temple.edu.
C.E. Hill says on “Project raises awareness in honor of late Friend” on Dec. 9, 2011 at 9:41 a.m. Thank you for what you have done and will do in the future in Roswell “Wubby” Friend’s name. I have been around his parents, especially his mom for a great deal of ourlives. In every developmental stage of his life (infancy and beyond) Roswell illuminated a spirit that was warm, loving, caring and considerate. I am missing him his presence is greatly! LK Tucker, I am not sure why you need the information you requested. But I asked that you be respectful of Roswell’s name, his family and friends, who are still feeling his loss. Thank you.
Jess says on “Activists arrested at Occupy eviction, on campus” on Dec. 7, 2011 at 12:09 a.m. To sign the petition demanding Temple sever all relationships with PNC click here: https://docs.google.com/a/temple.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGNIR2NId2Y3NTB0bkE2dmo 5dXR6LXc6MA All of TCAMR’s demands are listed. The mountains cannot wait! The people cannot wait!
KIERRA BUSSEY TTN
Joseph Mackie waits outside for the bus at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue after attending Sunday service at Greater Exodus Baptist Church.
COMMUNITY COVERAGE
Unity creates stronger community Various departments from Temple collaborated with students and parents to celebrate MLK day. KIERRA BUSSEY Opinion Editor On Friday, Jan. 13, Temple University’s College of Education, Office of Sustainability and Computer Recycling Center partnered to teach the importance of community service to students at Dunbar Promise Academy in light of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. “We are taking this opportunity to deliver and share Dr. King’s philosophy into community service that helps and strengthen our direct community,” said Susie Suh, the assistant director of Development & Alumni Affairs. Throughout the day students learned the benefits of sustainability. Through a demonstration by Urban Jungle, an organic retail shop in South Philadelphia, students and volunteers developed a living wall, which will remain mounted in the science classroom. The living wall will utilize
the Woolly Pocket planter system, a flexible, breathable, and modular gardening container. “We are exposing [students] to the benefits of plants inside and how greening can help a community,” said Kathleen Grady, the sustainability coordinator. “We are using the example of a living wall to show how you can add green spaces to an urban environment.” By incorporating arts and crafts and environmental science, students created their own individual planters. The supplies used were all examples of the three R’s of the environment: reduce, reuse and recycle. Students also received a lesson on how urban gardening can provide them with better food options. The planter that they created serves as initiative to get students thinking about making real change in their communities by implementing community gardens. More than 100 bottles were collected from Temple recycling and the art and crafts were reclaimed office supplies from the demolished University Service Building. Parents also benefited from resources available to them through the parent resource room at Dunbar where they could come
to learn and discuss issues pertinent to the community. Representatives from Temple’s Human Resources and Center for Social Policy and Community Development tabled and hosted a resource fair where parents could learn about job opportunities. Through Temple’s Computer Recycling Center, six refurbished computers were installed to complete computer stations. Organizations like, Temple’s Pan-African Studies Community Education Program, will provide parents with computer literacy programs at an inexpensive cost. Jonathan Latko, director of the Computer Recycling Center said this component of the project was especially important considering that more than 40 percent of Philadelphians are without daily access to a computer and Internet. “To me, it seems the racial divide of MLK Jr.’s day has been replaced with a ‘digital divide’ that transcends race, color and creed,” Latko said. “Creating this computer resource lab for the parents of Dunbar School, is one way we help bridge the divide that exists in today’s society and further fulfill his dream.” Kierra Bussey can be reached at kierra.bussey@temple.edu.
Man on the Street
NEW YEAR
The Temple News went around Main Campus to see what students think the new year has in store for them, and what they remember most from 2011. To find out their new year’s resolutions, visit temple-news.com/multimedia.
multimedia
temple-news.com/multimedia
KIERRA BUSSEY TTN
Kindergarten students assist with the assembly of the living plant wall in their art classroom.
LIVING temple-news.com
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
OWL TO GLOBETROTTESS
PAGE 7
Fatima Maddox, former guard on the women’s basketball team, signed with the Harlem Globetrotters two years after leaving North Broad and after spending several seasons abroad in Sweden. JAKE ADAMS The Temple News son.
Fatima Maddox wanted to be like Allen Iver-
Watch her game on YouTube and you’ll see the same broken ankles and lightning quick ball handling that made Iverson one of the hardest guards to defend as a Philadelphia 76er. But there’s something about Maddox, a former guard for the women’s basketball team that won the Atlantic Ten Conference title in 2006, which draws some separation from her idol and it involves her positive view of practicing. “[Maddox] was great,” former coach Dawn Staley said. “She was a gym rat. She was one that loves to be around the game and she was open to learning. She had incredible speed.” All that practice finally paid off for the fivefoot, seven-inch Maddox, who her new teammates call “TNT.” Her new teammates just happen to be the Harlem Globetrotters. “That in itself is pretty honoring, that they think that I’m explosive on the court,” Maddox said. “I like it.” After two years in the Cherry and White, averaging 9.7 points and 2.4 assists in 57 career games, and several years overseas playing professionally in Sweden, Maddox returned home to Philadelphia and promptly became the ninth woman in Globetrotter history, and the eighth Owl. “It really didn’t surprise me that she could accomplish such a feat and be one of the female Globetrotters,” Staley said. However, Maddox never intended to become a Globetrotter. For most of her life, she said she dreamed of playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association, and recently spent the past few seasons playing in Sweden. “She told me that she wanted to play [professionally],” Staley said of Maddox’s years at Temple. “I was really frank with her and let her know that guards playing overseas and professional, they come a dime a dozen.” “The experience was wonderful,” Maddox said of playing in Europe. “I recommend it for
anybody, just to get out of the country and meet different people. It really opens your mind.” But while in Philadelphia during the offseason, she heard the team that’s featured Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain was looking for a woman to wear the red, white and blue for the first time since the early 1990s. She said she couldn’t pass it up. “It was a little bit random, just because never in my wildest dreams did I think that the Harlem Globetrotters would be interested in having me on the team,” Maddox said of trying out for the team. “I didn’t really know what to expect, so I just did what I do best. I worked my hardest, especially on defense, and I tried to be a good communicator, something that I learned at Temple.” Staley emphasized that the honor is not something that should not be taken lightly. “[Maddox] gets to say she was a Globetrotter, something very few women have the opportunity to put on her résumé,” Staley said. Maddox can now be named among the short list of female Globetrotters. The most famous “Globetrottess” was the first, Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard in 1985, who was one of the key players involved with the WNBA and women’s basketball in Europe. “Instantly I was just honored that I could call myself a Harlem Globetrotter now and be part of that rich tradition,” Maddox said. “Those women, they were very good basketball players, so the bar is high but I look forward to the challenge.” But it’s not really about breaking the gender barrier for Maddox, she just wants to play the game. “I don’t know if she looks at it like that, because she’s such a basketball player,” Staley said. “Regardless of her sex, she’s a basketball player. She loves to play.” “I’m very fortunate to be a part of history,” Maddox said. “Right now I’m just hoping to be a Harlem Globetrotter for many years to come.” But for all the honor and enjoyment she has experienced, Maddox said she still has more work to do to improve her game. “You want to learn your trade,” Maddox said.
MADDOX PAGE 17
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Fatima Maddox takes a shot in her new Harlem Globetrotters uniform. Maddox joined the team two years after leaving the women’s basketball team.
Alumnus films Travel Channel special Dan Lantz, a 1990 alumnus, traveled the world with the Travel Channel to shoot its New Year’s Day special, “Hot Spots 2012” with Johnny Jet. The one-hour special followed Johnny Jet, who manages a travel blog, as he visited destinations that viewers should check out for After 26 years of working in the television themselves in 2012. The show featured footage and film industries, Dan Lantz, a 1990 alum- from a 45-day trip that Lantz said consisted of nus, said he finally got to experience a “real 12 days of camera work in countries like New Zealand, Belize and the British Virgin Islands. world” gig, just in time for the New Year. Approximately 20 days durAccustomed to film producing the trip were set aside for tions including, “Swords: Life traveling from country-to-country on the Line,” a 2009 TV series and the remaining time was used for the Discovery Channel and to figure out logistics, Lantz said. various other shoots involving “You go to all these couna chemical factory among other tries and you need to breathe a “weird places,” Lantz, 42, was little bit,” he said. “You have to asked to film a televised special, deal with customs and all kinds of “Hot Spots 2012.” Renowned technical stuff.” travel guide John E. DiScala, Lantz said the greatest chalalso known as “Johnny Jet”, lenge of the trip was being ready hosted the show. The show preDan Lantz / for the unexpected. 1990 alumnus and travel miered on the Travel Channel on “You got to really manage channel videographer Jan. 1. your equipment, treat it like a Lantz has helped produce baby because if something breaks, several movies and TV shows in you’re out in the middle of nohis career, including four years of working on where and you can’t fix it,” Lantz said. “Eva TV series documentary called “Modern Marery piece of equipment we brought, we had a vels” for the History Channel. backup version of each one, so we worked all However, the California native said he was excited to try something new with his lat- that out.” As the cameraman, Lantz captured the est project. locations highlighted in the New Year’s Day “I’ve done lots of movies and TV shows, televised show. He recorded places that are but that’s all pretend, you make it up, you’re expected to be sites of interest in the new year, on green screens,” Lantz said. “But nothing such as the Harry Potter studio in London, compares to being in real places and in the real the newly constructed Sept.11 Memorial and world.”
CONNOR SHOWALTER The Temple News
“Nothing compares to being in real places and in the real world.”
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
This week, we catch up with Emily Youcis, a Tyler student who gained fame as the Phillies’ Pistachio Girl.
LIVING DESK 215-204-7418
LANTZ PAGE 15
COMIC CLUB
Engineering major Torin Johnson wrote a book, “A Hero Reborn,” which hits shelves at the end of the month.
NEXT WEEK
Courtesy Dan Lantz/Impulse FX
(Left to right) Travel blogger Johnny Jet, sound technician Adam Danoff and director of photography Dan Lantz wear hard hats in the Hogwarts Great Hall movie set, part of a new Warner Brothers-owned tourist attraction in England set to open in 2012.
GREEK BOUTIQUE
Next week, “Hoot Couture” columnist Mark Longacre covers the opening of a new Greeklife boutique on Broad St.
LIVING@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
LIVING
PAGE 8
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
2012 PREDICTIONS ALEXIS SACHDEV Living Editor
The Changing face of north broad
2011 was an emotional year for the Owls. We prayed for our fellow students abroad who were effected by the earthquake in Japan. We joined forces to rally against state budget cuts in Harrisburg. We laughed, cried and cheered with our football team all the way to its first bowl win since 1979. But the emotional rollercoaster isn’t done yet. 2012 holds both promises and problems for North Broad, and this is what we can expect:
The new face of Temple
PAUL KLEIN TTN File Photo
Pearson and McGonigle halls and the new architecture building were both expected to be completed by September 2011, but are still under construction. While the university waits to complete these two projects of the 20/20 plan, the South Gateway Residence Hall will also come closer to completion this year.
According to the 20/20 plan’s website, the university is also planning and designing a new Science Education and Research building at 12th Street and Polett Walk. While the start and completion dates have not yet been announced, the heart of Main Campus may begin to drastically change in the coming years.
State Appropriations & tuition woes KATE McCANN TTN File Photo
In September, President Ann Weaver Hart announced her resignation. After June 30, Hart will step down and make way for the 10th president of the university. Since mid-fall last year, university faculty has held roundtable discussions with Temple Student Government Student Body President Colin Saltry as the student representative to determine what the most important qualities are in a president as Temple moves forward. Upon Hart’s announcement, students expressed complaints of her lack of transparency and accomplishments to the university, among others. Whoever fills her position will have to quell these criticisms in order to meet the needs of the student body, as well as guide the university through its next stages in the 20/20 plan and navigate through the budget cut conundrum facing Pennsylvania’s public higher learning institutions.
Athletics to gain support
ANGELO FICHERA TTN File Photo
For the 2008-09 academic year, tuition cost approximately $10,858 for in-state students and $19,878 for out-of-state. This year, it rose to $13,006 in-state and $22,832 out-of-state. With increasing state budget cuts, there’s no telling yet how broke incoming and returning students will go this fall.
Last year, rumors surfaced claiming the university will go private, though these rumors were never confirmed. As attendance rate continues to rise and state appropriations decline, fact remains that students will bear the bulk of the weight.
The Presidential Race
PAUL KLEIN TTN File Photo
For the past 30 years or so, the Cherry and White’s only claims to fame were Bob Saget, Bill Cosby and the men’s basketball team. That is until Temple turned the tables on college athletics. The football team gained its first bowl win in more than 30 years last December, the club ice hockey team earned its first-ever entrance to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Nationals, Bernard Pierce set a new program rushing touchdown record and the men’s and women’s basketball teams made strong appearances in the NCAA tournament. Though Temple wasn’t offered a bid to the Big East Conference, the athletic teams appeared on ESPN and made college sports headlines more often than they have in the past. Maybe this year the Owls will finally crush Penn State.
With the budget an ever-present problem for legislators and administrators, the 2012 election could bring interesting results to the state’s public universities. With the Republican National Committee midcaucus–and candidates throwing their hats in an out of the ring every day–there’s no telling right now what the future holds. And while Mayor Michael Nutter has made his dedication to education very well known, a republican president to replace Presi-
dent Barack Obama could have interesting effects on our liberal city, should they win. And, as columnist Brandon Baker pointed out [“Republicans move out of closet and into mainstream,” page 15], some republican candidates are reevaluating their stances on gay marriage, especially Mitt Romney.
THE SECOND SECOND COMING
CATCH UP Use the QR code to the left on your Web-enabled mobile device to view The Temple News’ 2011 Year in Review
The world is slated to spontaneously combust on Dec. 21, or so suggests the Mayan calendar. Expect to see more than one angry student flipping Student Financial Services the bird in the days preceding Judgment Day. Alexis Sachdev can be reached at alexis.sachdev@temple.edu.
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PAGE 9
Wrestling arena to receive makeover South Philly’s Asylum Arena will open its doors to new programming and a revamped image in the new year. JOHN CORRIGAN The Temple News
F
laming tables, showers of steel chairs and humorous expletive chants from passionate fans are etched in diehard professional wrestling fan Bob Magee’s bloodstained memories of South Philadelphia’s Asylum Arena. Magee attended countless wrestling matches during the infamous arena’s 19-year history. He recalls having difficulty finding the arena’s location on his first trip when he was told the building was at South Swanson and West Ritner streets. “In those pre-Internet days, I looked up the intersection on a SEPTA map in my office,” Magee said. “According to that and another map I looked at, the intersection didn’t exist. I found out years later that the members of the [South Philadelphia] Viking Club Mummers group had paved over freight-train tracks and created an unofficial extension of a street [where the building is].” Magee said he remembers how the matches in the early years had to end before midnight so the South Philadelphia Viking Club’s “bingo ladies” could fundraise for the local chapter of mummers. Former Philadelphia-based wres-
tling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling held events at the building so frequently that a cult following spawned who nicknamed the establishment the ECW Arena. Hundreds of wrestling legends ranging from Terry Funk, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eddie Guerrero to the current WWE champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson all wrestled at the ECW Arena. Despite the Asylum Arena’s rich history of moonsaults and piledrivers, new leaseholder and Trocadero Theatre owner Joanna Pang has decided to prohibit sporting events as part of the facility’s 2012 makeover. Pang met with local wrestling promoters to reveal that the current structure would be rebuilt into a 3,000-seat concert hall and restaurant complex. In order to compensate for the arena’s revitalized structure, the rent price to host events is expected to increase beyond what wrestling promoters can afford. However, co-owner of the Asylum Arena Leon Silverman is under the impression that wrestling will remain at the arena. “I have been quoted in the Daily News saying that I do not like wrestling,” Silverman said. “But that does not mean that wrestling won’t occur in
ASYLUM PAGE 13
CHARLOTTE JACOBSON TTN
Asylum Arena opened at Swanson and Ritner streets in South Philadelphia in 1993. Under its new ownership, plans for the arena include a 3,000 seat concert venue and restaurant complex.
Sonia Sanchez named city’s first poet laureate Accomplished Philadelphia poet and Temple Presidential Fellow Sonia Sanchez took office Dec. 29. KARA SAVIDGE Arts and Entertainment Editor
Courtesy Beacon Press
Sonia Sanchez, 77, was named and sworn in as Philadelphia’s first poet laureate Dec. 29. Mayor Michael Nutter created the position in May 2011.
When asked how she felt about her recent appointment as Philadelphia’s first poet laureate, Sonia Sanchez cited the names of various authors and artists who have comprised the city’s past and present artistic circles as evidence of the importance of her new role. “It goes all the way back–to Poe, to Coltrane–we’ve had great writers, poets, musicians, artists who have lived here and continue to live here,” Sanchez said. “It’s an amazing city of artists, so it’s only logical to have a poet laureate who will bring all these artists together.” Mayor Michael Nutter swore in Sanchez, 77, to her new position at a ceremony on Dec. 29 at City Hall. An accomplished and established poet herself, she can add the city’s title to a distinguished and seemingly innumerable list of honors and awards. The Lucretia Mott Award, a 1992 Pew Fellowship for the Arts, a National Endowment for the Arts, a Langston
Hughes Poetry Award–among her many other distinctions, seem to suggest that Sanchez informally earned the laureate title years ago. While pursuing her graduate degree at New York University, in a poetry class with the notable American poet Louise Bogan, Sanchez said she had her first poem published and was encouraged to take a more disciplined approach to a writing career. “I wanted to know if my love affair with language, with words and poems was worth continuing,” Sanchez said. “And [Bogan] said, ‘yes, but what are you going to do about it?’” Sanchez published her first collection of poetry, “Homecoming,” in 1969. Fifteen books and several plays later, her words and worldwide appearances as a lecturer have her slated as an advocate for women’s rights and racial justice and a prominent figure in what is now known as the Black Arts movement. Currently, among the stories of Harriet Tubman, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks and 16 other AfricanAmerican women, Sanchez is featured in “Freedom Sisters”–a traveling
BALTIC BEATS
Meet the West Philadelphia Orchestra, who’s big band style comes with some Eastern European influence.
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STEELING THE SHOW
Junior film and media arts major Rich Woolfe produces “The Steel”–a Lehigh Valley-based variety television show.
NEXT WEEK
SANCHEZ PAGE 11 ARTS CHALLENGE
Meet some of the 2012 Knights Art Challenge Finalists, and find out how their projects will benefit the arts in Philadelphia.
ARTSandENTERTAINMENT@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 10 HandMeg
MEGHAN WHITE
Columnist Meghan White recaps her crafting experiences during winter break.
Warning: This column contains graphic injury descriptions that may be disturbing to some readers.
Hoot Coture
I
MARK LONGACRE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Columnist survives winter break craft attack
I
lived up to my goal of crafting a lot over winter break. Well, sort of. At the very least I’m pleased with what I made, and I hope that other people got crafty too. But there were a few hiccups in my crafting extravaganza of my last ever winter break. The first would be sewing while on pain killers after having my wisdom teeth removed. At the time, I was convinced that I immediately needed a patch received for Christmas sewn onto the sweatshirt I bought. So using an iron and a sewing machine seemed like a great idea at the time. While things went off without a hitch, the lines I was sewing were a little wonky. Despite this success I still would strongly advise against trying that one at home. I also began to work on a quilt, piecing squares of fabric together while working my way through my Netflix queue. The phrase “began to work on” is sort of a lie, though. I actually started the quilt when I was at the ripe old age of 12. I was thoroughly tacky and the patterns I picked must have made sense at the time
because they more or less make me cringe now. The clouds and stars were a brilliant combination for me as a tween, and now I’d be even tackier and probably just make a Halloween-themed quilt. But the real issue came when I had finally made all of the squares. I wound up with 144 total quilt pieces, with 88 of one pattern set and 56 of the other. So I spent more than four hours on the floor of my living room trying to figure out a pattern for the quilt while shooing my cat off of my progress and whimpering about poor life choices. I finally figured something out, but I am pretty sure it wasn’t what I was going for 10 years ago. Still, I kept on trucking and I can say with full confidence that sewing with a quarter inch seam allowance is the worst thing when it comes to sewing ever. Because most of my sewing projects have been clothes or stuffed animals, I generally manage to work with a larger seam allowance that doesn’t send me into a panic. So I neurotically worked on this quilt, absolutely terrified that I would mess something up
and it would be ridiculously crooked. But I guess taking over the dining room for a studio was worth it because while I only have the front of the quilt done at this point, it is more or less acceptable if a little juvenile. My greatest triumph of handmade during winter break was a project that I actually wound up bleeding as a result of, but very luckily not on the project itself. I found a great free shirt pattern and decided to make it. I’m a bit awkward proportionally but I’ve learned what fits me and what doesn’t. I was super concerned that I would make this shirt and it would be the most ill-fitting garment I ever put on. It goes almost without saying that I went against the instructions included with the pattern and bought inexpensive quilting weight cotton. For one, it remains the fabric I am most used to working with and two, there was no way I was spending $15 on a yard-anda-half of fabric for me to look horrible in the shirt. So once I figured out via cutting and pinning that this shirt actually may look
Gym workouts warrant careful clothing choices Columnist Mark Longacre says that the right attire can make or break a trip to the gym or a workout regimen.
t’s that time of year again. I don’t mean the beginning of the semester–I don’t think anyone actually cares about that–it’s the time for New Year’s resolutions. It’s that time when every student, professor and teacher’s assistant flock to the gym. While I give serious credit to people for motivating themselves to go to the gym, there’s one thing that sets experienced gym rats aside from resolution-ers: The gym rats understand gym apparel. I understand the gym isn’t a runway, but your gym attire can be the difference between enjoying yourself and never returning. Planning a gym outfit involves knowing your body and how it reacts to various conditions. For example, when I run, I sweat more than a Broad Street runner crossing the finish line. But when I’m weight training, my body is drier than the Sahara. With my body’s needs in mind I begin the process of picking out a workout outfit. It’s easiest to start with the innermost layer and work your way out. Because I sweat more than a criminal in a courtroom, I always wear spandex shorts underneath my running shorts. Spandex makes the perfect undergarment because it’s lightweight and breathable. Anyone near the finish line of a run knows that any extra weight feels like a ball and chain dragging you down. Breathability is also important because the skin respires. Although skin isn’t as efficient as the respiratory system it still processes oxygen, which means you need to dress it in a material that aids in the respiratory functions. Don’t get me wrong, I love spandex, but it leaves nothing to the imagination. Fortunately, almost every exercise apparel company has a similar line of clothing that wicks sweat away from the body without being a second skin. Wicking materials, like Nike’s Dry-Fit line, are lightweight and breathable, while drawing sweat away from the body. When cotton or polyester is saturated they’re incredibly heavy. Because of their synthetic base, Dry-Fit shirts don’t absorb water like conventional materials. In addition to the proper material, the color can make or break your exercise outfit. One time I made the mistake of wearing gray to the gym. Naïve Mark didn’t think anything of it until I reached the third of five miles on the treadmill. The light gray shirt started out almost the same color as the newspaper but quickly turned as dark as this typeface. After that day, I will only wear white, navy and black. Once you’ve determined what materials work for your body, it’s important to pick a pair of shorts. One would think picking a pair of shorts is easy, but there’s a science behind the proper shorts for each activity. Running shorts are typically the lightest and most fitted shorts available, and basketball shorts are usually longer and weigh a little more than running shorts. Weight is an incredibly important factor to consider
when running because it takes more effort to propel your body forward with every additional ounce. Much like with any going-out outfit, your shoes are the most important part. The right pair of shoes can completely alter athletic performance, but the perfect pair varies from person to person. Personally, I love minimalistic footwear. When running, lifting or playing racquetball at the IBC Student Recreation Center, I wear a pair of Vibram Five Fingers because they simulate being barefoot without actually walking barefoot through North Philly. Barefoot technology isn’t for everyone though, and can cause injuries if used improperly. Check out City Sports at 16th and Walnut streets for a recommendation on the proper shoes for your sport of choice. MEGHAN WHITE TTN Once you know the basics on what Columnist Meghan White called this shirt her “greatest triumph of works with your body, feel free to have handmade” during break, despite an incident with the sewing machine. fun with your outfit’s colors and accessories. If you wanted to go completely gym chic, try to pick a motif and express it using the colors and accessories in your outfit. For example, you could go New England-tennis-chic by buying all pastel colors, a Rolex and a martini glass in lieu of a water bottle. Or you could try going green by buying attire made from post consumer fiber and a BPA free, reusable water bottle. In order to be successful with a New Year’s resolution, you have to be motivated to work. Whether you’re investing money into your gym clothes or just really want to get in shape, find your motivation and an exercise routine that meets your needs, and stick to them. In the world of exercise, nothing is impossible if you really want it. Mark Longacre can be reached at mark.longacre@temple.edu.
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cute on me, I decided to race through sewing it. The directions told me to finish the inside edges of the garment along the seams in order to prevent fraying. Well, I don’t have a serger so I turned to my handy sewing guide, the Internet, for advice. I figured the advice to do a zig-zag stitch seemed not only sound, but also easy. My sewing machine however was not pleased, and was probably sort of tired from sewing at this point. It jammed, but only briefly. So briefly in fact that I had no time to remove my hands from guiding my fabric and away from the needle, and my brain didn’t have time to tell my foot to get off of the pedal until after I realized what had happened. I had sewn my middle finger under the presser foot and the needle went through the nail of my middle finger and almost out the other side. First off, I don’t even know how my finger fit under the presser foot but it was there. And second, what I did next is probably not sound medical advice but sometimes instinct just kicks in. I removed the needle from the machine and then from my finger. I immediately regretted not snapping a picture. I was sort of grossed out by the fact that as I pulled the needle out a string of clear liquid came with it, and I really would have liked a picture or video of that too. And of course my next worry was if I bled onto the shirt I just sewed my finger for. Thankfully, I didn’t, or else there would have been tears. Hand washed, nail polish removed, finger wrapped, iced and elevated I sought the advice of some friends and the online medical community known as Yahoo Answers. Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to take the needle out and apparently, I was supposed to go to the hospital. It was a little late for that, but I had my tetanus shot four years ago so I figured I was more or less fine once the bleeding had stopped. By the time my father got home from work I was finishing up the shirt and he, after making sure I was OK, laughed at my misfortune. I guess the moral of the story is to take your time when sewing things, or at the very least if you sew through your finger take a picture. Meghan White can be reached at meghan.white@temple.edu.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 11
West Philadelphia Orchestra MAURA FILOROMO The Temple News Balkan-inspired music is not what most people would associate with West Philly, but West Philadelphia Orchestra founder and alumnus Gregg Mervine said the Balkan bands he played with in New York influence him. In 2006 he founded the orchestra, which is comprised of musicians from all different backgrounds. While the band has a heavy Eastern European influence, it creates distinct music that mixes genres to form its own new sound. Mervine led the orchestra from its founding until June 2010. Now living in Brazil, he returns every so often to play with the West Philadelphia Orchestra. The next performance will be Feb. 9 at the Tritone Bar on South Street for its monthly “Balkan Dance Party.” The Temple News talked with Mervine and baritone player Larry Toft about their experiences with the WPO. The Temple News: How did the West Philadelphia Orchestra start and grow into the orchestra it is today? Gregg Mervine: I was playing with New York Balkan bands, subbing on drums, and I loved the energy and the crazy parties we played at. So I talked to some guys I knew from this West Philly bar, Fiume, and invited them to a rehearsal. Few were professional musicians. They were self-taught, or they hadn’t touched an instrument in years. Several couldn’t read music. Everyone was so unique with an unusual background. Larry Toft: I was doing a jazz gig with [Mervine] and asked him if he’s doing anything new. He told me about this, so I joined in and invited some of my brass-player friends to join as well. TTN: How many members are currently in WPO? LT: Sixteen. We usually perform with six to 12 people depending on the gig. TTN: What are the members’ musical backgrounds? GM: I came up playing punk rock, and then I studied other styles, so I guess that’s why I’m drawn to the grit and honesty of folk music. To me, a raucous party with a brass band, whether in Mexico, Columbia, Bulgaria, North India or on Second Street on New Year’s Day is as punk, as do-it-yourself and col-
SAM LEVINE TTN
Members of the West Philadelphia Orchestra perform at Tritone Bar on Jan. 12 on South Street. The orchestra, founded by alumnus Gregg Mervine, plays its next monthly “Balkan Dance Party” on Feb. 9. lective as it gets. TTN: What is the most rewarding part of playing with the orchestra? GM: Musically, I like the moments of the shows when everyone’s sailing the ship into uncharted territory together–it’s perilous and alive. The way the crowd interacts with us and influences us is amazing and unique. Sometimes members of the band get swallowed up in the crowd so that the sound is coming from everywhere. TTN: Is the song-writing process collaborative or is there one primary songwriter? GM: Depends. More and more it works that one person writes out every note on paper. Then the band reads the chart, learns the notes and then we take it to the show. I personally prefer making up arrangements collectively, each adding their own part.
TTN: Your website states that your music is not strictly Balkan but sometimes includes jazz or Brazilian style. How do you incorporate different styles into songs? LT: It’s funny, the term “Balkan” is a misnomer to describe this music because there are Balkan countries whose music and culture are quite different that of a Slavic/Gypsy brass band. We incorporate different styles because really it’s music to celebrate, so we work with whichever style will inspire this. GM: I never say, “don’t play like that because it’s not Balkan.” I do say, “don’t play like that because it sounds uninteresting.” TTN: How did your time at Temple help you as a musician? GM: I studied philosophy and literature at Temple and never stepped into the music department. If you’re cre-
ative, disciplined and inspired, you’re going to make music no matter what you studied in college. Most of my favorite musicians weren’t trained in schools and most of the world’s folkbrass band players don’t read music. TTN: What are some of your favorite things about West Philadelphia? GM: Cheap apartments in spacious old buildings, affordable restaurants and bars, creative folks and activists–all of which are being displaced thanks to gentrification. It is a diverse place still, and there’s a sense of community to a degree, which may also be on the decline. I think a band like WPO can do a lot to draw a community together, and we as a band could do a better job working toward that end. Maura Filoromo can be reached at maura.filoromo@temple.edu.
West Philly poet serves as laureate SANCHEZ PAGE 11 Smithsonian Institution exhibition that highlights those who have fought for racial equality. “We need very much to hear what people are thinking, what people need to say, need to hear,” Sanchez said. “This is what many of us have been doing, many writers of my generation and others. We have got to produce work that will keep people alive–we who have these words–we who know the importance of writing.” To exemplify her “mission” as a writer, Sanchez quoted the Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes: “We only hurt others who are incapable of imCOURTESY LANCASTER ONLINE aging themselves. CruSonia Sanchez was sworn in as Philadelphia’s first poet laureate at a ceremony at City Hall on Dec. 29. elty is caused by a failure Mayor Michael Nutter created the position in May 2011 and designated a committee to fill it. of the imagination. The inability to assign the same feelings and values to another person that you harbor in yourself.” “That’s what it’s been about,” Sanchez said. “To make people understand that we all have the same feelings and values and we’re not different, we’re all the same. The difference might be in the hair color, the lip color, but we all have the same color blood flowing inside us. We all have the same passions other humans harbor too.” After moving to Philadelphia in 1976, Sanchez began a 22-year career at Temple as an English professor, where she taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. In 1977, she received the Laura Carnell Chair in English, and became the university’s first Presidential Fellow. She said while teaching she witnessed the university’s expansion, as well as the addition of a black studies program. “It was an exciting place to teach, with professors from all over the country and [I thought] this is the legacy that’s
important for me to be a part of,” Sanchez said. The inception of the city’s poet laureate position occurred early last year. In May, Mayor Nutter announced the position and assigned Gary Steuer, chief cultural officer of the Mayor’s Office of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, the task of selecting the city’s first laureate and detailing the corresponding duties. Steuer’s decision was aided by a panel of several others, including Philadelphia-based authors and representatives from the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement and the Free Library, among other literary institutions. One of Sanchez’s first projects is the creation of a “peace mural,” location to be determined, through a partnership with the Mural Arts Project. “I want to promote art and peace at the same time,” Sanchez said. “We’ve got to move this city from a city of violence to a city of peace, and children who walk on sidewalks of peace.” Sanchez has asked children from local schools to write haikus about peace that will fill the mural, in addition to the words of Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. Sanchez said she and Mural Arts plan to collaborate with the First Person Arts Festival to create a multimedia display to accompany the mural. “People turn to poems for some kind of illumination, for revelations and for hope for us to survive in spirit, not only in body,” Sanchez said. “That’s what poets do–the poems will illuminate what we feel, but don’t always know we feel it until it’s articulated.” Ultimately, Sanchez said she aims to act as a voice for the city and to elevate the voices of its other artists, authors and residents. “Any city you live Sonia Sanchez / poet laureate in inspires you. I try to be the conscience of every city I live in,” Sanchez said. “I try to write about its beauty and all the good that happens here.” “I’ve celebrated this city and said we are a great city and we can be greater,” Sanchez added. “I want to talk about how we’ve moved the city to greater heights, and I’ll be doing that with a lot of great poets, musicians, painters and people who care about the city I love.”
“People turn to poems for some kind of illumination, for revelations and for hope for us to survive in spirit, not only in body.”
Kara Savidge can be reached at kara.savidge@temple.edu.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Student-run television series enters second season in the Lehigh Valley Film and media arts major Rich Woolf discusses the creation of “The Steel,” a television show that highlights restaurants and music in the Lehigh Valley. progressive with the changing trends in social media today,” Woolf said. Woolf said he did not always want to be a producer, but that he wanted his Junior film and media arts major own television show that gave him the Rich Woolf is making waves on cable opportunity to entertain people. television. He cites inspiration from art and Woolf, along with Nick Kressler from those working on comedy stunt and Brian Fulmer, produce a 30-mingroups like “Jackass” and “The Dudeute variety show called “The Steel,” which highlights the local food and sons.” In the future, Woolf plans to make music scenes in the Lehigh Valley and more shows for local and regional prosurrounding areas. gramming and wants to start his own The show got its start when Woolf video company. He said he plans on and his team approached Service Eleccontinuing his segment on “The Steel” tric Cable Television in March 2011 called “One-Minute Twist,” which with a pilot of “The Steel,” at which takes a 60-second look into music and point Woolf said they “loved it” and recipes. Woolf hopes to start expandasked if they could produce 10 epiing the featured restaurants and artists sodes for the fall season. The show premiered Sept. 18, to cover the tri-state area. Additionally, he plans to start work 2011, and recently expanded its viewon a new project later this spring–a muing area to central Pennsylvania sic video for a song called “Injustice” through Blue Ridge by the local band RevCable and Commuolution Diary. Woolf nications. previously produced “Perhaps the a music video for the biggest challenge we band’s song “Let Go,” faced when putting which can be seen on the show together YouTube. was the learning Woolf credits his curve of putting an film and media arts actual episode toclasses as playing gether,” Woolf said. a huge part in “The Woolf said he Rich Woolf / Steel,” particularly was familiar with Fijunior fim and media arts major with helping him learn nal Cut Pro for editthe ins-and-outs of Fiing, but not with the nal Cut Pro. additional programs “From recording needed to produce a television show, to editing, and being in front of the like ProTools, Compressor and Mocamera, I love it and enjoy it with a tion. He said maintaining good audio passion,” Woolf said. quality during broadcasts also caused Woolf’s spare time is dedicated to issues. producing music and wedding videos, “We went through a lot of trial doing DJ gigs and working at the Nazaand error processes to get it right for reth YMCA close to his hometown durairing,” Woolf said. “Furthermore, geting the weekends. ting sponsors was, and still is, difficult “The show won’t come to you– in this economy. But, as ‘The Steel’ you have to get up and do it,” Woolf grows and more people are following, said. “If you want to be a rock star you it seems to be getting a little easier.” have to act like one. The same goes for The show is divided into three television shows, you have to act like parts headed by Kessler, Woolf’s foryou want your own show.” mer middle school technology teacher
BISOLA AKINDURO The Temple News
“From recording to editting and being in front of the camera, I love it and enjoy it with a passion.”
and neighbor, Fulmer and Woolf. The team intends to use the software Motion to add more graphics and effects to their second season. “We also plan to change the format for their interviews and keep it more
Bisola Akinduro can be reached at bisola.akinduro@temple.edu.
Courtesy Rich Woolf
Woolf films guitarist Jimmi Buskirk for an episode of “The Steel.”
Courtesy Rich Woolf
Woolf and his crew interview local band Toxic Sunshine for an epispode of “The Steel.” Woolf creates his own segment for each episode of the show called “One-Minute Twist” that looks at music and recipes.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Wrestling arena to become music venue venue close after nearly 20 years, but long-time fans have many a memory to the arena. Our goal is for the arena to be draw upon and wrestling in Philly will used as much as possible so we will do continue somewhere.” what is best for everyone.” Regardless of the concert venue’s While Philadelphia’s legacy in the potential economic boost in Philadelmusic industry may continue with the phia, Magee said that eliminating profesarena’s new direction, the future of the sional wrestling from the Asylum Arena local professional wrestling scene apis a slap in the face to the “squared-circle pears bleak. warriors” who sacrificed their bodies in Local wrestling promotions such order to entertain the fans during the past as Dragon Gate USA, EVOLVE and three decades. CHIKARA have followed in ECW’s “It is 19 years of footsteps by running wrestling history being shows in the Asylum taken away by two cenArena during the past ter city lawyers, [Elias] seven years. Stein and [Leon] SilTemple alumnus verman, who actually and EVOLVE owner own the arena, and conGabe Sapolsky said cert promoter Joanna he remains optimistic Pang, who has little or regarding the compano interest in that fact,” nies’ future in PhilaMagee said. delphia. Sapolsky is Asylum Arena regPaul Carboni / also vice president of asylum arena regular ular Paul Carboni cherDragon Gate USA. ishes the “buzz” that “Dragon Gate the ECW shows spawned, but said he USA and EVOLVE will have to seek out realizes that the arena will never reach a new venue and start paving out a new the glory of its heyday. history in it,” Sapolsky said. “The big“I’ve been to 100 Phillies games, gest negative is that we have to condition dozens of wrestling pay-per-views, three fans to go to a new building, well after WrestleManias and never was that buzz we find a suitable building.” a living and breathing thing more than Despite the sentimentality that it was at the [Asylum] Arena before an hanging out and throwing fake punches ECW show,” Carboni said. with fellow fans produces, long-time “Truthfully, maybe it’s time we let Asylum Arena attendee Joe Collura said the arena’s legacy be,” Carboni added. he appreciates the economic aspect of “The legacy is not about independent Pang’s decision. wrestling, but of ECW at the corner of “I can’t disagree with the new leaseSwanson and Ritner [streets]. Anything holder’s plans to make the arena a conelse that tries to replace it is only a poor cert venue,” Collura said. facsimile.” “Pang knows it is in her best finanCHARLOTTE JACOBSON TTN cial interests to be able to draw a broadJohn Corrigan can be reached at Asylum Arena sits at the corner of Swanson and Ritner streets in South Philadelphia. Under its new ownership, er, and probably wealthier, audience,” john.corrigan@temple.edu. the arena is slated for a renovation and will close its doors to future wrestling events. Collura added. “This is a big blow to the Philly wrestling scene to have its main
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“The legacy is not about independent wrestling, but of ECW at the corner of Swanson and Ritner [streets].”
Fox professor studies holiday consumption Marketing professor Ayalia Ruvio looks at links between holiday shopping and religion. ALEXSIA BROWN The Temple News Marketing professor Ayalia Ruvio of Fox School of Business conducted a study with two of her colleagues, Elizabeth Hirschman and Mourad Touzani, to look at the relationship between religion and holiday shopping. The study found that dominant religions in some places could encourage holiday shopping and spending, but the results also argued that shopping malls play a different role for minority religions. Ruvio said the original idea about culture, holidays and consumption belonged to Hirschman, a marketing professor at Rutgers University. “We met in Constance and I joined my co-authors after I suggested that we will explore their original idea in three different cultures and in three different religions, and have a research design of majority, minorities and disasphordic in each country and for each religion,” Ruvio said. “We did interviews in Israel with Jewish, Christian and Muslim people and also interviewed people in Indonesia and the states,” Ruvio added. “People talked about holidays and [their] habits.” Ruvio said that the study shows how shopping rituals have replaced past religious rituals. “We have all kinds of implications, but shopping or any shopping rituals serve as what religion served as in the past,” Ruvio said. “Holiday rituals have been replaced by shopping rituals and holidays serve as more of a social purpose than religious.” The idea of religion sup-
porting consumerism often draws criticism. “I have pretty mixed feelings as a Jewish woman, but when you are liberated from religion, you enjoy the holidays, but it may be my bias because I’m not a religious person,” Ruvio said. Ruvio cited an experience in Israel that supports her idea of liberation from religion and more social interactions resulting in more enjoyment. “When my family and I were in Israel, I didn’t enjoy synagogue because they would separate the boys and the girls,” Ruvio said. “But I found at the synagogues in the states, by allowing us to sit together, it made it more enjoyable because it was more sociable.” While the study does bring attention to the fact that shopping has replaced religion in much of today’s culture and society, Ruvio said, it doesn’t necessarily mean that is a bad thing. She said that rituals change with time and today’s holiday rituals are appropriate for today’s society. “I mean, today you won’t slaughter sheep for the holidays,” Ruvio said. Alexsia Brown can be reached at alexsia.brown@temple.edu.
Mimi Imfurst Presents: Dollhouse Revue Jan. 18 Doors at 10 p.m. $5, 21+ Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 Saint James St. Philly’s drag scene is booming. Fabulous men and women get decked out in their Sunday best to entertain their fans, have some fun and show that dressing as the opposite sex can be an invigorating experience. One of Philly’s biggest drag queens, Mimi Imfurst, and her team the Dollhouse Doll Stars bring audiences great performances every Wednesday at Voyeur Nightclub. The Dollhouse Revue is one show not to be missed. With a different theme every week, over-the-top antics, scantily clad men and fierce men pretending to be fierce women there is no shortage of entertainment. This is the stuff drag dreams are made of. Music is provided by DJ Carl Michaels and you need to be 21-plus for entry. If you’re in the mood for some gender-bending entertainment check this out. If you thought Lady Gaga as Joe Calderone was something, then you clearly haven’t seen how great drag can be. Lights Out Jan. 19 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Magic Pictures, 618 Hoffman St. Four Philadelphia artists will be presenting their work at the South Philly gallery Magic Pictures. Each piece features the use of light while the artists incorporate their own ideas and interests. Talk with the artists, discuss their work with new people and maybe start planning some projects of your own. There will be a variety of pieces including drawings, sculpture and interactive installations. The artists include Amber Clayton, Jovana Sarver, Ellen Foster and Emilia Brintnall. Everything will be on display through February, so if you can’t get enough of a particular installation or drawing, you have plenty of time to see it again. The Ball Pit Jan. 18 10 p.m. $3 Little Bar 738 S. Eighth St. Little Bar has quickly become one of Philly’s go to places to let loose. The bar is located in Bella Vista and brings the area a youthful vibe and crowd. But, the crowd is about to bring some insanity to Bella Vista as Little Bar presents The Ball Pit. Two floors for dancing with a list of DJs including DJ Sylo, Bo Peep, Cool Hand Luke, Wooferface, Ben Arsenal, QI Command, Marc Usher, Dr. Ew, Tom Charles and VJ Kraken will be performing. Not to mention the cover is $3 and there is the possibility of a ball pit. Two floors to dance and a ball pit gives you the chance to buy drinks and still act like a kid. Discover Hypnosis Jan. 21 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Free, 18+ First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. The idea that you can alter someone’s mental state, make them do things or erase fears is awesome in a cool and frightening way. The First Unitarian Church will be having a free hypnosis seminar Saturday where you can learn more about hypnosis and how it works. Participants will even be hypnotized and get a chance to hypnotize others. Make someone cluck like a chicken or, if you’re mean, give you all their money. While, I’m sure the seminar is meant to present hypnosis in a positive light and give participants a new skill to be only be used for good, there will no doubt be a someone who tries to hypnotize their roommate or enemy for an evil purpose–bank robbery, writing a paper, going to class for them, etc. Space is limited, so if you’re tired of watching David Blaine do magic tricks that aren’t really magic, why not learn a trick of your own. Sydney Scott can be reached at sydney.scott@temple.edu.
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PRISCILLA WARD The Temple News Known by many faithful Phillies fans as “The Pistachio Girl,” senior painting major Emily Youcis has been selling the snack to fans for the last three years at Citizen’s Bank Park. Though competitors have tried to steal her spotlight, none have succeeded at the sale like Youcis. The Harrisburg native isn’t hard to spot, either. She said she can usually be found in the stands in her typical black combat boots and crazy-colored hair, usually worn in pigtails. The Temple News sat down with Youcis to discuss the art of selling pistachios, her many fans and about being an artist in Philadelphia.
EMILY YOUCIS Courtesy philly.com
The Temple News: How long have you been the pistachio girl? Emily Youcis: I began my job as the pistachio girl the summer of my sophomore year. I was simply looking for a job and was willing to take the first job that came my way. My friends told me about it, they were working at different concession stands at the stadium. I applied and ended up getting the job. This was my first actual job, [and] this will be my third summer selling pistachios. I love it. TTN: Why do you like your job? EY: It’s quick and easy mon-
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ey. You don’t have to be there that long, and you get weeks off at a time, which is nice. I like being in the public. I like the entertainment industry in general [and] you never know with this job if you might be caught on TV or something, which is always exciting to me. I also like that it requires you to exercise all day since I am running around the stadium all day. All this running around allows me to release endorphins, so between smiling all day and exercising, I leave work feeling pretty happy, which is something not many people can say when they leave their job at the end of the day. TTN: Do you have any interesting fan stories? EY: One time, this man bought all of my pistachios and then asked me to throw them out to a whole section of people. I ran out, however, and people started to get upset that they didn’t get any. On a regular basis people are constantly asking for a picture of me, and are constantly yelling out “Tiger Mud”–a character from my show–which can get a little bit annoying after awhile. TTN: What else do you enjoy doing? EY: I was a part of creating a YouTube series called “The Smut Cave.” I also have my own show called the “Emily Show,” [which] consists of short skits. I started
working on my show the winter for my freshman year, and it’s great to see that people are actually watching it now. I am also a cartoonist, so I enjoy working on my characters, such as my character “Tiger Mud.” I also have a mixtape with all of my cartoons called the Alfred Alfer Mixtape. TTN: What do you hope to do with your art? EY: In the future, I hope to be able to sell my art, of course, so that I can make some money. I would like to find an art gallery that would be interested in representing me and showcasing my artwork. I also like murals a lot, so it would be interesting to paint these maybe on the places like the side of cheesesteak shops around the city or something of that sort. Ultimately, I really enjoy cartooning, so bringing that into what I do in the future would be great. I think it’s interesting how you can create a narrative through painting. Priscilla Ward can be reached at priscilla.ward@temple.edu.
‘A Hero Reborn’ flies onto bookshelves Torin Johnson, freshman engineering major, wrote a graphic novel to be released later this month. AMANDA ROSSETTI The Temple News Writing a novel is many people’s dream, yet due to the arduous nature of the undertaking, many aspiring writers become too discouraged to ever start. And, once written, getting a novel published is an even more difficult and daunting task. However, freshman civil engineering major Torin Johnson was not intimidated by these tasks and faced the adventure head on. While engineering and writing are not generally viewed as similar endeavors, Johnson said he has a passion for both. He said that he loves engineering because “it keeps the world safe and keeps the structures strong.” Johnson was drawn to writing because he said he has a massive imagination and needed to put it somewhere, so he chose writing as his outlet.
Johnson’s novel, “A Hero Reborn,” is superhero prose about an 18-year-old who is about to graduate from high school. His father is a superhero, but a gang murders him. Instead of going to a university like most people his age were doing, he decided to walk in his father’s footsteps and attempt to develop his father’s superpowers. In taking over for his father, he learns that it takes much more than just super powers and strength to be a hero. Johnson said he has an avid imagination when it comes to comic books and superheroes, and wanted this novel to be from a child’s point of view. He said he would think out what a scene would visually look like in order to put it into words, and through that method composed his novel. Johnson said it took him approximately a month-and-a-half to write the first draft. Johnson underwent a year of editing, as well as adding in pictures at the beginning of ev-
ery chapter in order to get the novel ready for print. The experience of working with an editor was a positive one for Johnson, he said. The editor was very understanding and helpful. “He knew that I was putting a lot of my own life into the character,” Johnson said. The editor did not edit out any of the personal details and focused on making “A Hero Reborn” as good as it could possibly be. Johnson said he has been writing since he was a young child. When he was eightyears-old he entered a national writing competition and won third place. When Johnson was in high school he joined the writing club. Johnson said that he drew inspiration from a documentary he watched in 11th grade English about F. Scott Fitzgerald. “Fitzgerald put a lot of his own life into
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TempleTown ad goes here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Torin Johnson, author of ‘A Hero Reborn,’ said to produce his graphic novel, he would visualize what he wanted the scene to be, and then put it to words.
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Republicans transition into mainstream QCHAT BRANDON BAKER
Columnist Brandon Baker examines the evolution of the RNC’s stance on GLBT rights, namely marriage.
F
or some people, the transition into 2012 signifies an exciting new round of the Olympic Games, an electrifying–or depending on who you are, petrifying– lead-up to “Doomsday” or the beginning of the countdown to the cultural behemoth that is the Super Bowl. But for this columnist dweeb, it means the official launch of the 2012 presidential election, the time of year when I fall asleep to NPR and drool at the sight of the latest polling numbers. And while the world may not be watching a neck-and-neck contest as cutthroat as the one between President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, it remains titillating as audiences observe the ever-changing circus show of hypocrisy known as the republican primary season. But what strikes me most as I observe political strategies and gauge audience reactions, is the surprising change in tone republicans have taken in their handling of GLBT issues. That is, they’re actually discussing them this time. Decades have gone by where the go-to line of rhetoric for a republican has been to slam the GLBT community as “immoral” and undeserving of the basic rights to which the rest of America is en-
titled. And while it is true that candidates on the stump like Rick Santorum (you know, that ultra conservative bum Pennsylvanians gave the boot six years ago) continue their arguments about GLBT community members being dangerously corrupt, it seems that the national republican message on gay rights has finally moved out of the hate-consumed closet and into the mainstream. More specifically, GOP frontrunner and inevitable party nominee Mitt Romney has avoided delving too far into social conservative territory, making it a point to not publicly endorse his support for gay marriage, but still emphasize his fair treatment of the GLBT community and his belief in “equality,” as further evidenced in his remarks during the Jan. 8 New Hampshire debate. “…If people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays, or say they don’t have full rights in this country, they won’t find that from me,” Romney said. Funnily enough, Santorum attempted to tout a similar–yet incredibly lacking in conviction– message about “equality” at the same event, despite trumping heavily against the mere existence of gays during regular campaign stops. It’s amusing how one’s opinion can go from
being radically prejudiced at a local town hall meeting, but fair-minded and open when given a national platform. The gist seems to be this: The national Republican Party is finally being forced to have a soul when it comes to GLBT rights. I realize that not every republican is staunchly against gay rights or bigoted. It would be a terrible misrepresentation of a group of people to generalize such a thing. However, it can’t be denied that republicans have, until now, largely taken pride in their socially conservative take on gay rights and even molded it into a positive part of their political platform. As a result of advancements made since at least 2008, however, republicans are now being encouraged by their constituents to acknowledge a growing change in public opinion, one that now sees a staggering number of 51 percent of Americans supporting same-sex marriage, according to a CNN poll from April of last year. Granted, Pennsylvania’s republicans won’t be able to head to the polls until April 24 of this year, but I’m left wondering how the republican stance on gay rights will continue to evolve in the Keystone State between now and that time. Environments such as Temple
are blessed with community members who are more socially liberal and understanding of lifestyle differences, but the commonwealth on the whole doesn’t maintain the same climate as the liberal skyscrapers of Philadelphia evolve into the more reserved low-hanging trees of the “Bible Belt.” Nonetheless, it’s refreshing to see the Republican Party take its first step beyond the threshold of the closet, and attempt to promote what is quickly becoming a more mainstream message of acceptance toward the GLBT community. And more importantly, it’s a reassuring sign that efforts made from organizations of all types–including Temple’s own Queer Student Union–are not made in vain. Give yourselves a pat on the back, activists. What a Republican candidate’s reluctant expression of support for the GLBT community really translates to is actually another big notch of success for the activist movement–locally and nationally. Brandon Baker can be reached at brandon.baker@temple.edu.
Columnist introduces her take on the everyday SEEN AND HEARD
I
VICTORIA MARCHIONY
In her introductory column, Victoria Marchiony recommends shedding the monotonous routine in favor of something new.
’m one of those people who has spent her entire life causing awkward silences at dinner parties by making obscene and/or scathing comments regardless of my company. And my somewhat trademark inability to avoid saying exactly what I’m thinking has led the universe to give me the opportunity to share my opinions with all of you. Welcome to my column, “Seen and Heard,” where I’ll do just that. The premise of this column is to take a critical look at Main Campus and pick out the idiosyncrasies that make the Temple community unique. These can range from general characteristics of the college-age group to the specific behavior of our ferocious squirrel population. The connecting thread to my topics will be that they all give you the, “I was just thinking that” reaction. My goal is always to keep you entertained, but also to provide insights into who we are as a community and why we do the things we do. As I sit in my hometown of Saxby’s writing this inaugural article, I find myself wondering w http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsni30hyur1qjvt5no1_ r1_500.jpg here my month of break flew
away to. While a four-month-long semester can seem to drag on forever, why does it always feel like the breaks vanish in the blink of an eye? My current theory is that though time flies when you’re having fun, it can evaporate when you’re doing nothing. In the moment it seems like you’re dragging things out, but when it’s done it feels like you’re waking up from a trance with no record of how you got there. Take my day for example: In the past 24 hours I’ve watched six episodes of “Dirty, Sexy, Money”–if you haven’t seen it, don’t bother, it was canceled for a reason–added pictures to the collage growing on my dorm-partment walls, chewed an entire pack of gum and stalked a solid 30 percent of my friends on Facebook. After all that, I find myself wondering how it’s already Friday since I’ve accomplished approximately nothing. Now, don’t get me wrong–spending a weekend alternating between eating, sleeping and surfing Reddit can be blissful, but there’s a certain point when the monotony makes everything blend together. This is as true for the weeks school is in session as it is for the time we’re “free.”
Everything is good in moderation, but after a period of doing anything repeatedly, we hit a wall. A few weeks into the same exercise routine, your body gets bored and stops responding. After four months of eating the same breakfast, it doesn’t taste as good. Couples complain that the sex they thought was so incredible the first 40 times loses its spark after a year (week?). Even in the short term we face the problem halfway through, that rich chocolate cake isn’t as amazing as it was in the first bite. In a world where we’re constantly bombarded by novelty, it seems that we always need something new to excite us into paying attention. The same is true with activities: School may seem interesting for the first month-and-ahalf while we’re getting to know professors, arranging schedules, meeting new people, etc., but by midterms we’re bored of the routine. When we’re less engaged, time moves incredibly slow. During breaks, we often lock ourselves into similarly monotonous patterns filled with nothingness, using the justification that we’re “resting.” When break concludes, we wonder how we could have spent an entire month on our parents’ couch
watching “the Daily Show.” Here’s the good news: As you wake up from your break-induced semi-coma, the beginning of this semester should move along pretty quickly because it will hold your attention. The bad news is that the dragging, trance-like feeling will probably be back. The solution I’ve come up with is to make sure that you break up the monotony with other things to stimulate you in between. Instead of endless weekends of going to the same party and drinking the excessive quantities of the same crappy beer, challenge yourself to wake up. Shake awake with something different, even if it’s just the same beer in a different city. Here’s to a more engaging semester than the one that came before. Victoria Marchiony can be reached at vmarchiony@temple.edu.
Owl videographer shoots Travel Channel special LANTZ PAGE 1 Museum in New York City and beginnings and in retrospect, he five-star hotels located around said deciding to attend Temple the world. was a “no-brainer.” During the production, “When I was in high school, Lantz shot from helicopters, Bill Cosby and ‘The Cosby the tops of Toronto hotels and Show’ was the biggest thing on from a Mayan jungle pyramid. TV,” Lantz said. “I chose TemAs he explained the experience, ple because of Cosby.” Lantz said he also Location was thought he worked also a key to his well with host success, as Lantz Johnny Jet. found a way to free“It was the lance at different most travel I ever production sets in done for a single Philadelphia startproduction and ing his freshman Dan Lantz / of course it’s the year of college. 1990 alumnus and travel Travel Channel so “I just started channel videographer it makes perfect hitting the street, sense,” Lantz said. “This par- there were all kinds of places in ticular shoot was a total joy.” town for film makers and film In “Hot Spots 2012,” Lantz producers,” he said. “Next thing worked with a West Coast you know I was taking classes acquaintance, Glenn Kirsch- on Tuesdays and Thursdays baum, who produced the show and freelancing the other three for MPH Entertainment Inc. days.” Kirschbaum is the vice presiNow, Lantz owns his own dent of creative affairs for the production business of 16 years production company, which has called Impulse-FX in Paoli, and produced “Dog Whisperer” and has produced the opening foot“My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” age for Channel 6-ABC Action “[Kirschbaum] is a really News for the past 20 years. good friend of mine and that’s “I love doing the introduchow I got the job,” Lantz said. tion for Channel 6 Action News, “The most important thing is it’s my baby,” Lantz said. “I to work with as many people love working for Channel 6, for as many things as you can they’re a great company and it’s when start your career and be a great experience.” nice to everybody because you Courtesy Dan Lantz/Impulse FX never who you’re going to end Connor Showalter can be Malvern film-maker Dan Lantz said he realized the thrill of a lifetime bungee jump in New Zealand while filming for the Travel up working with.” reached at Channel’s “Hot Spots 2012,” which aired New Year’s Eve. Lantz’s work as director of photography also took him to Belize, LonLantz came from humble connor.showalter@temple.edu. don and Richard Branson’s private island.
“I chose Temple because of Cosby.”
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Pell Grant slaps restrictions on recipients Changes to the Pell Grant will place time limits on grant recipients. LAUREN HERTZLER The Temple News Dating back to nearly four decades ago, the Basic Education Opportunity Grant, later renamed the Pell Grant, was created to help provide federal financial assistance to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford higher education. Named after the late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell from Rhode Island, the Pell Grant has awarded millions of low-and middle-income undergraduate students federal money based on annual family income and school cost, which never needs to be repaid. These grants, which usually fluctuate in amount each semester, are applied for by students through universities or colleges,
KATE McCANN TTN
Student Financial Service, located in Conwell Hall, offers financial aid to students on a need basis.
Engineering major publishes book BOOK PAGE 14 his stories and that inspired me many writers do, because agents to do the same,” he said. “I put take a percentage of the profits aspects of me into [the main from the novel. Torres Publishcharacter].” ing is a very urban, small-town, The main company. “A Hero character’s father Reborn” is the secwas always out ond book that they being a super hero have published. and a gang also Johnson said killed his mothhe plans to have a er when he was booth at the Philayoung. Therefore, delphia Book Festhe main character tival, which runs was alone most of from April 16-21 his life. By putting to market his novel. parts of his own He also plans to do personality into a few book signings the story, Johnson at the comic shops found out truths in Philadelphia that about himself. will be selling his J o h n s o n novel. Johnson is looked up pubin the process of atlishing firms on tempting to sell his the Internet in ornovel on Temple’s der to find someMain Campus. where to get his “A Hero Rebook published. born” is up for Torin Johnson / He sent letters and author, “a hero reborn” pre-sale now on manuscripts to the Torres Publishing’s publishing houses website and will be he found and, afavailable for purter getting a few chase on Amazon, rejections, finally Barnes and Noble got Torres Puband several comic lishing LLC to publish his nov- book shops and bookstores. The el. Torres Publishing was started release date is set for the end of in 2010 and is run by Rosaura this month. Torres, a writer herself and CEO Amanda Rossetti can be and managing partner Michael reached at Tomas. amanda.rossetti@temple.edu. Johnson never considered going through a literary agent, as
“[F. Scott] Fitzgerald put a lot of his own life into his stories and that inspired me to do the same. I put aspects of me into [the main character].”
SUPER SCRIPT Use the QR code to the left on your Web-enabled mobile device to view Torres Publishing’s website to view Johnson’s book on pre-sale. If you don’t have a smartphone, visit: http://torrespublishing.com/ default.aspx.
temple-news.com/QR
but awarded directly to the student who then decides how the money will be spent. Professor Emeritus of history of American education William Cutler agreed with the manner in which Pell Grants are distributed, and said he thinks a student should have the freedom to spend the grant how he or she wishes. “It means a more democratic system,” Cutler said. Junior sociology major Bridgette Nina Adekoya from Virginia receives a Pell Grant and uses it to help pay her tuition. “It’s important to me because it is a big help for me and my family,” Adekoya said. Adekoya, who has received the Pell Grant since her freshman year, not only uses the aid for fall and spring semesters, but has also put it toward paying for summer sessions. “These are opportunity grants and they have made college attendance possible by
lots of students who probably wouldn’t have been able to go if they wouldn’t have gotten Pell Grant money,” Cutler said. According to the Department of Education Student Financial Assistance Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request, the number of Pell Grant recipients has increased more than 50 percent since 2008. Similarly, costs of the Pell Grant program have more than doubled in the past three years, now at an expected $34.4 billion cost in award year 2011-12. This, alongside the nation’s struggling economy, has made the Pell Grant a major target by cost-cutting legislators. Since the development of the Pell Grant, many amendments have been made to the fund, which have changed eligibility requirements, maximum award amounts or total money made available for student aid. Throughout 2011, GOP Congress members, such as House Budget Commit-
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Former Owl dons the red, white and blue MADDOX PAGE 1
“You want to become good at your craft. I’ve been working really hard on some of the tricks. I practice a lot but I’m no stranger to practice.” Maddox joins a unique “rookie class” of Globetrotters, which features the tallest—seven-foot, eight-inch Paul “Tiny” Sturgess—and shortest— five-foot, two-inch Jonte “Too Tall” Hall—players in team history. The team also adds the 2011 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest winner Jacob “Hops” Tucker who reportedly has a 50-inch vertical. As a member of the team, Maddox be involved in community service as well, participating in various speeches, charity efforts—including the “C.H.E.E.R. for Character” program for school-aged children—and numerous off-thecourt ventures. “I’m thrilled to be a Globetrotter, even more honored and proud to be able to put on the jersey and represent not only as a Globetrotter but just as a woman,” Maddox said. “Showing other women and young ladies that anything is attainable if you keep a positive attitude and you work hard.” “Being a Globetrotter just wraps up everything that I’ve been about, not only playing basketball professionally, but I get to reach out and try to help someone else,” she added. And now she gets to come back home and tour the country. “If she comes anywhere near South Carolina, Charlotte or Charleston, I’ll definitely go down to see her play,” Staley said. On March 9, she’ll return to North Broad Street for a game in the Liacouras Center and on March 11 for two games at the Wells Fargo Center. “Philly is a second home for me, and I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends there,” Maddox said. “I’m really happy that I’ll be able to come back and just play in front of them and show them that my hard work paid off.” Jake Adams can be reached at jacob.adams@temple.edu.
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Fatima Maddox, an alumna who recently joined the Harlem Globetrotters, maneuveres around her opponents. Maddox is a member of the Globetrotters’ “Rookie Club.”
Federal grant imposes restrictions for 2012 PELL PAGE 16
tee Chairman Paul Ryan, proposed lowering the maximum Pell amount from $5,500 and limiting eligibility for recipients, which was determined to cause at least one million students to lose their access to the grant entirely. Last year when student debt was reaching its highest point as many college and university tuitions increased yet again, some congressional republicans wished to cut Pell Grants entirely, potentially destroying the dreams of many low-income students seeking higher education. The Pell Grant lessens the blow of college tuition for any student receiving it, and as budget cuts force tuition increases, many students have felt compelled to get jobs to just be able to make ends meet. Being a full-time student and working “makes it hard for students to get the most out of their education,” Cutler said. And a lot of times, makes it more difficult to graduate after four years. After months of debate, Congress voted in December to decrease the number of semesters one student may receive the grant, from 18 to 12, but keep the maximum Pell award
amount at $5,550–$4,860 is provided through discretionary appropriations and $690 is provided through mandatory funds–according to the final
“[The grants] have made possible college attendance by lots of students who probably wouldn’t have been able to go if they wouldn’t have gotten Pell Grant money.” William Cutler / professor emeritus of history of american education
Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations bill HR 3671. This plan is to be in effect on July 1, 2012. But it is retroactive, which can enormously affect students who are just a few semesters away from graduating, possibly still unaware that their planned grant for the upcoming year might be soon taken right out of their hands. “It’s restricting people from
receiving help, especially when they need it,” Adekoya said. Congress also has changed some other Pell eligibility criteria, such as reducing the income level below which a student will automatically receive the maximum Pell Grant from $30,000 to $23,000. These amendments will take away Pell opportunities from at least 100,000 of its current national recipients, according to the Institute for College Access and Success. The Institute for College Access and Success also reported, “The proposed limit would disproportionately harm African-American students and transfer students, including those near graduation.” Many Temple students will be affected by this amendment to the Pell Grant. Almost half of incoming Temple students are transfer students from other colleges or universities, and most of the students come from low and middle-income backgrounds, relying heavily on financial aid. The Pell Grant has yet again made its way into the federal budget, but only time will tell how long it will last. Lauren Hertzler can be reached at
lauren.hertzler@temple.edu.
JOEY PASKO TTN
SPORTS
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Women’s gymnastics hopes to rally around seniors The Owls will rely on its pair of senior captains to improve their young squad.
“The talent is there,” Murphy said. “Our job as coaches, we have to evaluate their skill level. If it’s there and up to the level of college gymnasts, then
we just have to clean them up.” Senior Alexandra Uscatu enters her fourth and final year at Temple. In 2011, Uscatu was Confidence is running high one of only three Owls to comfor the women’s gymnastics pete in the United States Gymsquad on North Broad Street in nastics Championship Finals. Uscatu tied for second place 2012. during session one on vault, and The Owls, placed eighth overwho are returning all. three seniors and “It’s a really one graduate stubig honor [to repdent, are loaded resent Temple],” with youthful talUscatu said. “I ent up and down know that I love the roster. Of the this team, and I 24 members on love these girls. this year’s team, It’s more than just eight will be maka team. This is my ing their debuts Alexandra Uscatu / family.” as freshmen and senior gymnast Senior Corrine seven more womWilliams enters her final year en will be entering their second at Temple with an impressive campaign as collegiate gymrésumé. Corrine has compiled a nasts. total of six plaques on the wall Coach Aaron Murphy is entering his sixth season as com- of the Temple gymnasium. In mander of the women’s gym- 2010, Williams was one of three nastics program, and the 2009 Owls to compete in the United Eastern Collegiate Athletic States Gymnastics ChampiConference Division I coach of onships, placed second in allthe year doesn’t think the youth- around during session one and fulness of this year’s team will managed to place eighth overall on uneven bars. be an issue. “[I have to] maintain, keep In 2011, Temple placed in up what I’ve been doing for the the Top 3 in six of their nine last three years, and do it until meets, and Murphy thinks this the end,” Williams said. “No year’s team has the same ambiinjuries, and come back with tion.
CHASE SENIOR The Temple News
“I love these girls. It’s more than just a team. This is my family.”
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Seniors Corrine Williams (left) and Alexandra Uscatu (right) perform routines on the balance beam during an intrasquad meet in McGonigle Hall on Jan. 7. The seniors will look to lead a young group of gymnasts, which includes eight rookies. some more awards.” Uscatu and Williams will both play critical roles in helping Murphy achieve the goals he has set out for himself and his team.
“ECAC Championships, man is it tough,” Murphy said. “You’ve got seven pretty equal teams at that time going into the tournament, you’re going to battle it out head to head.”
Pierce, Brown train for NFL combine PIERCE PAGE 20
“The past few years we were around third place, then last year we dropped to fourth,” Murphy added. “It’s time to get back in the Top 3. I already have two third place trophies, it’s
CONNOR SHOWALTER Sports Editor
KATE McCANN TTN
cision.” Pierce added that he is going to return to Temple at some point to complete his degree in communications. “I made a promise to both my mom and myself,” Pierce said. “Finishing my degree in communications is absolutely at the top of my list.” Now that Pierce does not have to attend classes, he can commit his time to training for the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, which will take place on Feb. 22-28 in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. He is currently training with renowned trainer and coach Paul Doyle. “I’m doing a lot of combine-training, strength training, explosion, speed and pool work,” Pierce said. “I feel like I didn’t really get enough opportunities to catch the ball out of the backfield, and so I’m working hard to show teams that I do possess those skills.” Magid said that the NFL Draft Advisory Board projects Pierce to be a third round draft pick. “I’m working hard to improve myself and my skills to prove that I’m an every down back and to increase my draft stock,” Pierce said. “Just being drafted would be an honor in today’s NFL. It would make my mom proud and fulfill my childhood dreams.” Brown, an All-MAC third-team
honoree and four-year starter, was the oldest player for the Owls last season at 26 years old due to enlisting in the Army post high school graduation. The Harrisburg native began his collegiate career as a member of the special teams unit before becoming a tight end during his sophomore year. Brown converted to defensive end, which is currently his preferred position, prior to his senior season, as the Owls had a need on the defensive line. “If it was up to me I would have been on defense my whole career at Temple University,” Brown said. “I try to look at it as a positive. It shows that I am very versatile and that I can contribute to my team in many different ways.” Brown and his agent said they believe his name could be announced in the late rounds of the draft if he puts in hard work at the combine and shows off his pass rushing skills off the edge. “I want to give a special thanks to coach [Steve] Addazio and [defensive coordinator Chuck] Heater for placing me back on defense where I feel I
truly belong,” Brown said. Several other Owls are on the hunt to hear their names on draft day, as five players will participate in all-star games this month. Senior defensive back Keeayre Griffin will play in the inaugural AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 21 in Carson, Calif, seniors offensive lineman Derek Dennis and tight end Evan Rodriguez will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 21 in St. Petersburg, Fla, and seniors defensive back Kevin Kroboth and offensive lineman Wayne Tribue will participate in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game on Jan. 16 in Tucson, Ariz. Rich Fogel can be reached at rich.fogel@temple.edu.
In case you missed it During winter break, the football team won its first bowl game in 32 years, defeating Wyoming 37-15 in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Use the QR code to the left on your web-enabled mobile device to view The Temple News’ coverage of the game.
Chase Senior can be reached at chase.senior@temple.edu.
Fencing alumnae shake off the rust
Annual alumnae meet brings graduates back to face the current team.
Junior running back Bernard Pierce declares his eligibility for the 2012 NFL Draft in April. Pierce is the Owls alltime leader in rushing touchdowns (53), total touchdowns (54) and points scored (324).
time to add a second or first.”
Yasmine Matheson, who graduated from Temple in 1981 and competed for the fencing team, said she still remembers the integrity that coach Nikki Franke instilled into her teams. Matheson said when the Temple fencing team beat rival Penn State, her teammates decided to take the Nittany Lions’ banner with them. She said they didn’t tell Franke until hours later into the bus ride home. When Franke found out the team took the opponent’s banner, she turned the bus around so the team could return another team’s property. “We drove back for like two hours and we had to find a way to get their banner back up on the building,” Matheson said, who found the incident humorous. “I’m so glad [Franke] nurtured me through college because you realize how naïve you are in college, Matheson added. “One of the things past graduates have in common is that [Franke’s] integrity followed us. No matter what we did it was about integrity.” Matheson was among approximately 20 other alumnae who came back for the annual fencing alumnae meet held on Jan. 8 in McGonigle Hall. “[The alumnae meet] is like a family get together,” sophomore epee squad leader Chantal Montrose said. For some fencers like Kristine Jones, who graduated in 2008 and fenced sabre, not many years had passed since their playing days on the team. Jones has two sisters on the current team as well who are both seniors, Danielle and Krystal Jones who fence foil and epee, respectively. “I know people love hearing that I was a division I athlete because it just shows that I stuck with something and worked really hard to achieve my goals,” Kristine Jones said. “You learn hard work and dedication take you very far in life.” Though no team score was kept for the meet, the current players said the alumnae meet helps them to prepare for competition. “We still have to beat [the alumnae] because [Franke] will make fun
of us if we don’t,” foil squad leader and senior Alyssa Lomuscio added. “It’s fun. It’s not necessarily a giant and intense rivalry.” Despite its relaxed-atmosphere, the alumnae meet can teach the fencers how to put their own techniques in perspective for competitions. “It’s always good because not a lot of [the alumnae] have been fencing for a while, so consequently their styles are going to be a little different,” Lomuscio said. “It’s always good to fence any level of fencer because it gives you experience. This is a way to get practice against someone who is doing something differently than you would normally see because they fenced years ago and the styles were all different.” One major change in the sport is the addition of epee and sabre weapons in women’s collegiate events, which occurred in the mid-to-late 1990’s. Clyde Ofner, a former assistant coach from 1981-83, said that fencing has changed a significant amount since his coaching years. “There are so many differences I don’t even know how many there are,” Ofner said. “I’ve learned that the scoring is different. I’ve also learned that women’s epee and sabre are both electric [scoring], when before even in men’s fencing, sabre was never electric. We always had human judges. You talk about some arguments, fights and yelling.” Senior and sabre squad leader Kamali Thompson said the alumnae meet also teaches the team how to respect the program’s history. “I think fencing alumnae is great because fencing styles now are completely different than in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s,” Thompson said. “It’s great to see what style they had and how they were training back in their day. But it’s also great to see who is still competing because there are a couple of our alumnae who are doing the national circuits.” After the meet Franke said the current team won. “We only count the score if the alumnae win and then I can pick on the team all year,” Franke said. “It was just great to see so many of the alumnae and it’s just nice them see each other.” Connor Showalter can be reached at connor.showalter@temple.edu
SPORTS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
PAGE 19
Women’s basketball team struggles to hit its stride
The women’s basketball team is trying to find its shooting touch.
BRANDON STONEBURG
The Temple News The Owls stayed busy during the winter break while other students were home enjoying the holidays. The Owls played six games including two on the road. They split the six games winning three against UCLA, Richmond and Western Michigan and losing to Duke, Villanova and St. Bonaventure. Recently, the Owls defeated the Dayton Flyers, 6157 on the road last Sunday. The Owls are 2-1 in a wide-open Atlantic Ten Conference, so the goal of bringing home a conference championship and returning to the NCAA tournament is still very much alive despite an inconsistent start. “I think everybody knew that, once Xavier lost their big players, that the conference was wide open,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “No one gave Dayton or Temple the trophy this year. We knew that we were going to have to fight it out, and we knew that it was
a balanced league. It’s tough competition throughout.” Losses to in-city rival Villanova and No. 8 Duke, both at home, by nine and 11 points, respectively, were tough to swallow. In the loss to the Wildcats, the Owls shot 25.5 percent from the field, which crippled their chances to pull off the victory. A win against Duke would have been a confidence boost after a slow start to the season, but the Owls got themselves in a deep hole, down 37-20 at the half as they struggled again from the field, and their second-half rally wasn’t enough. There was cause for concern as the next two games were on the road, but they beat Western Michigan by 12 thanks to 19 points apiece from senior guards Kristen McCarthy and Shey Peddy. The following game against Richmond displayed one of the Owls’ best comebacks thus far of the year. The Owls trailed by 14 in the first half thanks to more cold shooting, but pulled off a 13-0
run in the second half to ensure a thrilling finish. With the Owls down by one with 10 seconds left, Cardoza put the ball in Peddy’s hands, who found McCarthy for a jumper with 0.2 left on the clock to give Temple the win. The cold shooting has been a trend throughout the season as the team has a 29 percent field goal percentage from beyond the arc and is shooting less than 40 percent shooting overall. Still a 7-8 record on the season isn’t what anyone on North Broad Tonya Cardoza / had envisioned coach for this team that went 24-9 a year ago. The low shooting percentage in most games has been a big Achilles’ heel for the team and so has the assist to turnover ratio, 186 assists compared to 238 turnovers. Peddy and McCarthy are the only players averaging double figures in points as the rest of the starters and bench have struggled to find their scoring touch as of yet. “To be honest, it’s not so much the bench,” Cardoza said. “We have to get more
“Our starters have to do the bulk of the scoring for us and we know that.”
production from our starters, because our bench players are not really scorers. Our starters have to do the bulk of the scoring for us, and we know that.” McCarthy said the team is looking to bounce back after the slow start. “I don’t know if I would call it pressure, but just urgency,” McCarthy said. “It’s urgent that we come out to play every game.” The team still has time, as it is early in conference play and no one team in the conference has really separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Big road games against Dayton and Xavier await the Owls in the later part of January. “It’s just going to be one of those seasons where you’re going to have to fight to the end,” Cardoza said. “And that’s been different for the conference since I’ve been here, and that’s what’s exciting about it. You know that every single night out you have to play your best basketball to give yourself a chance at the end.” Brandon Stoneburg can be reached at brandon.stoneburg@temple.edu.
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Senior guard Shey Peddy drives toward the basket against St. Bonaventure at the Liacouras Center on Jan. 11.
Owls’ losses have come while shorthanded Ice hockey
wins two during break
CRANNEY PAGE 20 So with 11 wins and five losses and an in-conference record of 1-2, add some impressive victories and a couple of bad losses, Temple has been good, but not great so far this season. But it could, and probably should, be so much worse. Injuries have been a problem for this team all season. Redshirtsenior center Micheal Eric has missed the last 12 games after re-injuring the same kneecap that kept him sidelined at the end of the season last year. Senior forward Scootie Randall hasn’t played at all while recovering from offseason knee surgery and is reportedly expected to redshirt the rest of the year. In missing Eric and Randall, the Owls are without two of their most important players. Randall is the Owls’ best perimeter defender and the team’s vocal leader on the court. Without Randall, Temple has been forced to look to its other senior starters for leadership, guards Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez, who are both better known for letting their play speak for itself. The six-foot, 11-inch Eric is arguably the most valuable player to this team. It has been evident in his absence just how critical a part he plays on both offense and defense. Redshirt-freshman Anthony Lee, who stands at six-feet, nineinches has been thrust into the starting position at forward in an attempt to make up for the Owls’ lack of size. Eric was leading the A-10 in rebounding through four games at 11.3 boards a clip before his injury. Lee has averaged
7.1 rebounds in 16 games and has 10 times looked like the freshman that he is in the face of bigger and stronger competition. Six-foot, six-inch junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson has also had to adjust, playing at power forward when he is a more natural three guard. But the Owls have made it work, thanks in large part to the work of coach Fran Dunphy and the emergence of junior guard Khalif Wyatt. Dunphy has done a great deal to get the most out of the talent he’s had to work with during his five-year tenure with his team, but his performance so far this year ranks among his best. Working with an undersized team and forced to start players at positions where they aren’t used to playing, Dunphy has out-coached the likes of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Villanova’s Jay Wright in wins this season. Dunphy has often had to play four or five guards when Lee or Hollis-Jefferson get into foul trouble, and he has proven that Temple can beat teams while playing small ball. Recently, the guard play has been led by Wyatt, who is having a breakout season in his junior year. Wyatt is trailing only Moore on the team in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game and shooting .432 percent from behind the arc. In his last four games, Wyatt is averaging more than 23 points per game and has hit 13 three pointers. Wyatt has also emerged as the Owls’ best player in the clutch, hitting big shot after big shot in games against Buffalo, Delaware
The club ice hockey team picked up its best win of the season during break against UMBC. SAMANTHA GRINNAN The Temple News
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Junior guard Khalif Wyatt dribbles down court against Dayton. and Duke. With his scoring surge and clutch shooting performances, Wyatt has established himself as a dark horse candidate for A-10 Player of the Year. The Owls are hopeful Eric will return by the end of January so that they can get back to running the style of offense that has
made them successful under Dunphy. But as Eric’s absence continues, the Owls have proven that they can find a way to win in the face of adversity. Joey Cranney can be reached at joseph.cranney@temple.edu.
La Salle poses a balanced scoring threat LA SALLE PAGE 20
hitting three treys in each game. But Temple couldn’t carry their successes on offense and defense in their games against Dayton and Richmond. The Owls were out-rebounded 37-23 and allowed a season-high of 87 points to the Flyers in their first game following the Duke win. Against Richmond, the Owls managed a shooting percentage of only 37 percent. “Dayton really played well. Their resolve was greater than ours,” Dunphy said. “Richmond is a really good team. They beat us up on the boards and that hurt us. We looked at the film and saw
how many times they had second- those games as we did with Duke chance opportuniand Saint Louis.” ties and stick backs Senior guard Juan that lead to easy basFernandez has been an kets for them.” ongoing concern for “We just the Owls lately. He weren’t able to close shot 1-11 in the loss it out,” Dunphy addagainst Richmond and ed. “And that hapis second on the team pened to us a couple in turnovers this year. of times at Dayton, “When guys that too. That’s probably you’re counting a the biggest concern lot on aren’t on top I have. We had opof their game, that’s portunities to score certainly a cause for against Richmond concern,” Dunphy Fran Dunphy / [and Dayton] and we said about Fernandez. coach didn’t take quite as “He’s a good player good advantage of and a good guy, and
“When guys that you’re counting a lot on aren’t on top of their game, that’s a cause for concern.”
he’s working at it. Hopefully some of the shots that he’s taking will start to go down.” “Sometimes he’s trying to do too much. Other times he’s getting good looks and it’s just not happening for him,” Dunphy added. “But he’s working at it.” Temple will need Fernandez at his best to compliment the efforts of Wyatt and company if the Owls want to even up their conference record tomorrow. Joey Cranney and Connor Showalter can be reached at sports@temple-news.com.
The Owls skated into winter break with a record of 6-12, after a notable performance in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association Showcase in Warwick, Pa. One of those wins was against the University of Maryland-Baltimore Country, a top ranked team and favorite to go to nationals this year. “That was probably the biggest statement we had all semester,” coach Jerry Roberts said. “It helps remind players what they are capable of when they play the right way.” “It really brought everyone together,” junior forward Sean Nealis said. “We proved that we meant business and we were ready to turn the season around.” Senior goalie Will Neifeld tallied 110-plus saves that weekend, and junior forward Chris Johnson and junior forward Joe Pisko, both had solid games which helped the Owls be successful. “[Neifeld] stood on his head helping us with those wins,” senior forward and assistant captain Taylor Lockhart said. Like the Philadelphia Flyers, the Owls also had the opportunity to participate in an outdoor game in the beginning of the New Year. While the game was not part of the regular season, it still counted towards rankings, and was an overall great experience for the team. “The best part was that we came out flying,” Nealis said. “We controlled the game.” Unlike the Flyers, Temple walked away with a 2-1 victory against Rowan. The regular season started back up this past Friday, and the Owls went into the game swinging. After three solid periods of play, the Owls beat Delaware 5-1 with goals from senior forward George Rutter, Nealis, Johnson, Pisko and Lockhart. This upcoming weekend, the Owls take to the road for a two-game road trip, Friday at Liberty and Saturday at Virginia Tech, a trip which will be a huge test for the team. Earlier in the season, both Liberty and Virginia Tech came to Philadelphia and beat Temple 4-1 and 3-1, respectively. “It is going to be a big test for us,” Nealis said. “It’s going to be our chance to prove that the second semester is ours. The earlier loses were due to mental breakdowns, but we have a lot of confidence now.” “We’re emphasizing simplicity this semester,” Roberts said. “If we work harder and smarter than out opponents, we’re going to be tough to beat.” The Owls have seven regular season games remaining before the start of the MACHA playoffs. “I can speak for everyone on the team that we wouldn’t give it up for anything,” Lockhart said. “Every player is ready to step up and leave nothing left in the tank at the end of the season. If we put in the work, we’ll be [in playoffs], and I think everyone is ready to do it.” Samantha Grinnan can be reached at samantha.grinnan@temple.edu
SPORTS temple-news.com
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Wyatt, Dunphy keep season afloat
Looking at La Salle Men’s basketball will play La Salle tomorrow night.
T
emple (11-5) will try to improve its Atlantic Ten Conference record to 2-2 as the team takes on La Salle (12-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Liacouras Center. The Owls are 2-2 in January after dropping its past two A-10 games to Dayton and Richmond by 10 and 11 points, respectively. On Jan. 4, Temple knocked off No. 3 Duke and then picked up its first A-10 victory of the year last week in a 72-67 win against Saint Louis. The Explorers are winners of five in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. La Salle is 13-5 and 2-1 in the A-10, which is currently tied for second in the conference. La Salle has held its opponents to less than 60 points in six of its last 11 games and is shooting better than 48 percent during its current winning streak. “La Salle is really playing well,” coach Fran Dunphy said in a conference call on Monday. “Their statistical shooting numbers and their defensive numbers guarding the three, they’ve really done a great job. We know we’re in for a tremendous challenge on Wednesday. We’re looking forward to it, but
Insane in the Joe Crane
JOEY CRANNEY CONNOR SHOWALTER The Temple News
know how great they’re playing right now.” Offensively for the Explorers, four of the team’s five starters are averaging double figures, with junior guard Ramon Galloway leading the scoring with an average of 15 points per game. As a team, La Salle puts up about 75 points per contest. Dunphy said the defense will need to improve and come together to defend the Explorers’ potent offense. “We need everybody. We’re not defending at a level where we can afford somebody to take the night off offensively,” Dunphy said. “Our defense is where our biggest issues are. If we were a lockdown defensive team, I’d say somebody could take the night off, but that’s not happening for us at this point.” Temple does have a height advantage against La Salle with six-foot, nine-inch redshirtfreshman forward Anthony Lee, but in order for the Owls to match up with La Salle on the offensive end, Dunphy said the team will need to stick to its spot up shooting, rather than force too much inside the paint. “If we can get down to [Lee] and he can get a couple of shots at the basket and draw a foul, that would be great,” Dunphy said. “But that’s not going to be something that we say, ‘This is how we’re going to attack La Salle.’” We’re going to do what we normally do and hopefully Anthony can get a couple of second-chance op-
A
Joey Cranney
PAUL KLEIN TTN
Junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson rises toward the hoop against Dayton on Jan. 7. portunities.” For Temple, it’s been a tale of two teams so far in January. In wins against Duke and Saint Louis, the Owls played
complete games offensively and defensively. They shot better than 56 percent and held their opponents to a shooting percentage of less than 50. Ju-
nior guard Khalif Wyatt was a highlight in both victories against the Blue Devils and Billikens, scoring 22 points and
LA SALLE PAGE 19
lthough the men’s basketball team has suffered two losses in the Atlantic Ten Conference this month, Temple fans should be happy that Owls haven’t fallen into an even bigger hole come mid-January. Despite missing two starters and having to play every game with undersized and inexperienced players since late November, the Owls’ record stands at 11-5. The team also already lists wins against two Top 40 Rating Percentage Index programs on their résumé. While Temple has dropped Atlantic Ten Conference games to both Dayton (13-5, 3-1 A-10) and Richmond (11-7, 2-1 A-10) and suffered a loss at the hands of an inferior Bowling Green team (7-9), the Owls have also picked up key wins against A-10 foe Saint Louis (14-4, 2-2 A-10), Wichita State (15-3) and then No. 3 Duke (15-2).
CRANNEY PAGE 19
Pierce prepares for NFL draft Freshman runner
breaks two records
Bernard Pierce announces his entry into the NFL draft. RICH FOGEL The Temple News Junior running back Bernard Pierce will no longer be on Main Campus as he recently moved to Atlanta to begin training for the National Football League. Pierce announced on Jan. 6 that he will forego his senior season and enter the 2012 NFL Draft in April. “I felt like I had a pretty good season this year, one of my best,” Pierce said. “If I came back next year and didn’t produce as well I felt that possibly my stock could drop and that I also accomplished a lot of what I wanted to do at the collegiate level.” The All-Eastern College Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and three-time first-team All-Mid American Conference honoree rushed for 1,481 yards and scored 27 touchdowns last season, while helping Temple win its first bowl game in 32 years. The Ardmore native finished the regular season nationally ranked in several offensive statistics among running back including No. 2(t) in rushing touchdowns.
and I ran within 15 seconds.” Although the performance is great for her confidence, Dubrow and coach Matt Jelley are putting the record in to perspective. “Obviously it’s good for my confidence,” Dubrow said. “I was DANIEL CRAIG talking to coach Jelley though and The Temple News we agreed its just chance I broke Freshman distance runner the record.” Dubrow shattered another Jenna Dubrow continues to see early success in her freshman year record on Friday at the New York as a part of the cross country and City Gotham Cup at the Armory in New York. Her time of 18:12.51 track programs. in the 5,000 meter After establishbroke Sheila D’Alo’s ing herself as the time of 19:00.02 set Owl’s top cross counback in 1982. try runner this past Even after the fall, Dubrow began cross country season breaking records with in the fall, and with her time of 10 minthe indoor track seautes, 15 seconds and son well underway, 64 milliseconds in Dubrow said she is the 3000-meter run at holding up well physthe Jack Pyrah InviJenna Dubrow / ically. tational held on Dec. freshman “Obviously I was 2, 2011 at Villanova a little scared going in University. Dubrow’s time broke Temple’s previous re- to my freshman year because its a cord of 10:21.51 in the 3,000 me- lot more running,” Dubrow said. ter set last year by Rebecca Mim, “But I’m pretty confident in Jelley’s training. If I’m a little sore I a 2011 alumna. “Honestly I hadn’t looked up can let him know and we’ll work the records before. I didn’t know on it.” I had broken the record until afDaniel Craig can be reached at ter the race,” Dubrow said. “My daniel.craig@temple.edu. game plan was to run as close to my high school [personal record]
Jenna Dubrow sets new school distance records as indoor track season begins.
KATE McCANN TTN
Junior running back Bernard Pierce announces that he’s leaving Temple, but not for good. Pierce intends to return to complete his degree in communications. Senior defensive end and team captain Morkeith Brown is training alongside Pierce for the draft. Both Brown and Pierce are clients of Management Representation Marketing Sports and Entertainment agent Marty Magid. The agency lists another Temple alumnus as its client, defensive tackle Antwon Burton, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Denver Broncos in 2006. Concluding the past sea-
son in healthy condition factored into Pierce’s decision to enter the draft a year early, he said. The Glen Mills School product has battled injuries throughout all three of his seasons at Temple, including hamstring tightness and a concussion last season. The All-American left his mark in the record books during his junior season, becoming the Owls’ all-time leader in several categories including
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL p.19 The women’s basketball team played six games during winter break, winning three and losing three.
SPORTS DESK 215-204-9537
rushing touchdowns (53), total touchdowns (54) and points scored (324). He also set single-season records for rushing touchdowns (27), total touchdowns (27), points scored (162), and 100-yard rushing games (nine). “My mom and I did a lot of soul-searching about it and we both felt that it was the right decision to make,” Pierce said. “I feel great about my de-
PIERCE PAGE 18
FENCING p.18 The fencing team competed at its annual alumnae meet on Jan. 6. About 20 alumnae fencers hit the strips.
“I didn’t know I had broken the record until after the race.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL NEXT WEEK The Owls will take on Maryland (12-4) at the Palestra on Saturday at 11 a.m. in their first nonconference game since Duke.
SPORTS@TEMPLE-NEWS.COM
