temple-news.com VOL. 90 ISS. 26
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012 A WALK BACK, A WALK FORWARD
Adamant Activism
Registration tests SFS efforts to improve Added employees, a new director hope to increase financial service efficiency. MATTHEW HULMES ALEXIS SACHDEV The Temple News
ANGELO FICHERA TTN
A walkout in October 2011, when Dilworth Plaza was “occupied,” demonstrated a growing interest by Temple students in the international outcry known as the Occupy movement. Months later, a student branch flourishes on Main Campus.
Without a physical camp, Occupy Temple has maintained its presence on Main Campus. KATE KELLY The Temple News
O
ccupy Philadelphia once again setup a physical camp in the city this past weekend, this time in Independence Mall. The re-debut of a temporarily claimed territory highlighted the longevity of the Occupy movement, a series of actions that calls out issues of wealth disparity and educational inequalities, among others. “Friday marked our sixmonth anniversary, celebrating the progress we’ve made as a whole over the past six months, including the four months in which we did not physically occupy a space,” junior film major Steph Irwin said. “It was great to see comrades and familiar faces at the reoccupation, but to be honest, I haven’t stopped interacting with them since the physical eviction in November.” As Irwin notes, many physical sites of the movement were dismantled in recent months. The city’s first encampment was evicted in late November 2011, yet in-
OPINION DISCRIMINATORY LAW, p.5 DiCicco argues that the Pa. voter ID law discriminates against minorities, the elderly and students.
LIVING WORK OUT, p.7 The Temple News sits down with Paul Sheriff, a graphic design professor from Tyler making a documentary about his late sister’s gymnastics legacy.
A&E SPRING SWING, p.9 Lindy and Blues organizes Rittenhop, swing dancing sessions, in Rittenhouse Square every Sunday.
SPORTS ATOP THE PODIUM, p.18 The men’s gymnastics team won its first ECAC championship since 2008.
dividual spinoff groups like Occupy Temple maintain a stronghold on the campaigns they’ve started.
SPREADING ROOTS
The movement first started when activists gathered in September in Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan to begin building a camp and a movement that would spread internationally. Directly adjacent to Wall Street, the activists were there to protest what they viewed as unjust economic practices in the government and in the private corporate sector. Creating systems that would sustain their inhabitation of the park, the activists planned to be there indefinitely. The name of their movement, Occupy Wall Street, quickly became a 2011 buzz term. As the occupation in the park grew, tension built between protesters and New York City police. On Oct. 1, 2011, approximately 800 people were arrested during a march on the Brooklyn Bridge. Several Temple law students were present for the incident, some of them serving as legal ob-
servers for the National Law- tents and tables. Del Gandio, yer’s Guild. who wrote several essays and Strategic and Organiza- spoke on national television tional Communication profes- about the Occupy movement, sor Jason Del Gandio, Ph.D., began volunteering with the said this event was crucial media team forming at the for the Occupy movement to Philadelphia occupation. spread. “I would straddle the line “ T h e between orfirst couple of ganizer and weeks, as we public intelall know, [the lectual,” Del movement] Gandio said. was pretty “I was exsmall,” Del tremely imGandio said. pressed and “It didn’t reextremely ally have much excited about of an impact what was ocand then there curring. It rewere mass arally felt like a rests on the moment was Brooklyn occurring and Bridge and I just wanted Ethan Jury / to be part of that’s when the member, occupy temple whole thing that moment.” took off and L a s t got national media attention week, the Sociological Orand from that point forward ganization of Undergraduate it really took on a life of its Leadership organized an interown.” disciplinary panel discussion Activists in Philadelphia on the Occupy movement. quickly planned their own Panel members included occupation, and on Oct. 6, professors from a variety of 2011, convened in the plaza at City Hall and began to erect OCCUPY PAGE 3
“In a lot of postencampment cities now you see a lot of functional working groups having grown out from that.”
For the past few years, students have voiced their dissatisfaction with the Office of Student Financial Services and its resources. However, last semester, the office hired additional officers and will bring in a new director. Last semester, The Temple News detailed the stress and frustration students experienced when interacting with the office during class registration periods [“Financial Services hold up registration,” Oct. 31, 2011]. Jodi Laufgraben, vice provost for academic affairs and assessment, said in October that SFS is aware of the student dissatisfaction, and assured the student body that a series of meetings were underway to streamline issues
within SFS. In addition to streamlining these issues and helping students become more aware of the holds on their accounts, a university-wide search for a new director of SFS ended last week. Current director Jim F. Morris plans to retire, and will be replaced by Craig Fennell, former executive director of student financial assistance at Arizona State University. Fennell will begin fulfilling his position this week. One of the main problems students encountered was account holds during registration. Last semester, SFS put approximately 8,000 accounts on hold, down from the 9,700 holds from Spring 2011. This semester, Laufgraben said that although she didn’t have any of the statistics on-hand, the numbers are comparable. “There aren’t any unusual spikes there,” Laufgraben said. “We do know that because of the economy, more students are needing financial assistance and coming to Student Financial Services raising
SFS PAGE 3
Small decrease in TSG election turnout A new ticket is ready to assume the TSG executive office next semester. AMELIA BRUST The Temple News The new Temple Student Government executive office, Temple Advocating for Progress, was announced the winner of this year’s TSG executive elections Wednesday, April 4. TSG Student Body President-elect David Lopez, TSG Vice President of External Affairs-elect Ofo Ezeugwu and TSG Vice President of Services-elect Julian Hamer appeared at the General Assembly meeting yesterday, April 9. TAP officers will re-
place the current TU Nation team after April 23. “We have already begun our transition phases,” Lopez said. “We’re getting briefed on exactly what our roles will be.” TAP is making appointments with university departments, including campus safety, student activities, Dean of Students Stephanie Ives, and residential life and housing. Lopez said TAP plans to meet with the President Ann Weaver Hart as soon as possible “to be there so we have a presence.” The team hopes to meet with residential life to discuss progress on the new dorm building at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, as part of Temple’s 20/20 plan. Lopez cited concerns about
TSG PAGE 3
Dems., TSG call for ID expiration dates In response to the voter ID law, some want Owl Cards to don expiration dates. JOHN MORITZ The Temple News Temple Student Government is moving forward this week with a resolution calling on the university to equip new Owl Cards with expiration dates in order to better suit a recently passed voter identification law in Pennsylvania. Last week, TSG sent out letters to various university offices asking for an inquiry into how Temple could adopt expiration dates on all new Owl Cards so that they may be used as a valid form of voter identification as required by House Bill 934, which was passed in March.
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House Bill 934 is an amendment to the Pennsylvania Election Code of 1937, requiring voters to present a valid form of photo identification at the polls in order to vote. Without expiration dates, Owl Cards do not fit the legal requirement. The new law does not give a specific time for how long expiration dates have to last. Temple College Democrats, who oppose the law, first proposed the resolution to TSG on March 19. The resolution was unanimously passed a week later on March 26. TCD Membership Director Dylan Morpurgo, a sophomore political science major, called the bill “a solution without a problem,” citing that it could potentially disenfranchise thousands of voters come fall. “For numerous reasons
OWL CARD PAGE 2
MATT FLOCCO TTN
Dylan Morpugo is pushing for Owl Cards to have expiration dates, for use during elections. Temple College Democrats and Temple Student Government passed a resolution in support.
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