Vol. 100 Iss. 7

THE TEMPLE NEWS

TEMPLE IN MOURNING The Temple University community remembers the lives of five students who died this year.

Read more on Page 23.

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS, PAGE 4 Temple University students and parents attended a rally at the Bell Tower to advocate for increased campus safety.

FEATURES, PAGE 24 Organizations on campus offer programs and resources to help students manage a return to in-person final exams.

2021 The Essayist Read on page B1

VOL 100 // ISSUE 7 DEC. 7, 2021

temple-news.com @thetemplenews

PAGE 2

The Temple News

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

Lawrence Ukenye Editor-in-Chief Amelia Winger Digital Managing Editor Jack Danz Print Managing Editor Dante Collinelli Chief Digital Copy Editor Natalie Kerr Chief Print Copy Editor Haajrah Gilani Assignments Editor Fallon Roth News Editor Micah Zimmerman Assistant News Editor Monica Constable Assistant News Editor Julia Merola Opinion Editor Mary Rose Leonard Features Editor Eden MacDougall Assistant Features Editor Samantha Sullivan Assistant Features Editor Isabella DiAmore Sports Editor Nick Gangewere Assistant Sports Editor Victoria Ayala Assistant Sports Editor Emerson Marchese Longform Editor Maggie Fitzgerald Audience Engagement Editor Emily Lewis Assistant Engagement Editor Amber Ritson Co-Photo Editor Noel Chacko Co-Photo Editor Erik Coombs Multimedia Editor Allison Silibovsky Assistant Multimedia Editor Sarah Walters Design Editor Ethan Carroll Assistant Design Editor Gracie Heim Web Editor Olivia Hall Podcast Editor Scarlett Catalfamo Advertising Manager Luke Smith Business Manager

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

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

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

The Editorial Board is made up of The Temple News’ Editor-inChief, Managing Editor, Digital Managing Editor, Chief Copy Editor, Assignments Editor, News Editor and Opinion Editor. The views expressed in editorials only reflect those of the Board, and not of the entire Temple News staff.

ON THE COVER NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Kyle Osborne, a political science and communications and social influence major and the Temple Student Government director of pride and traditions, leads a vigil for Temple students who died this year.

Contacts Visit us online at temple-news.com News Desk 215.204.7419 Email section staff news@temple-news.com letters@temple-news.com features@temple-news.com intersection@temple-news.com sports@temple-news.com The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

CORRECTIONS On Nov. 9, an article on page 16 titled “Freshmen bring Hindu council chapter to Temple” incorrectly spelled Nikita Agarwal’s name.

On Nov. 9, an article on page 19 titled “Temple professor seeks to diversify nursing field” misquoted Tiffany Montgomery’s thoughts on how nursing should diversify. Montgomery believes the nursing field should also expand regional diversity. The article also incorrectly stated how many schools Montgomery applied to teach at in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, Montgomery only applied to Temple.

Follow us @TheTempleNews

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 Lawrence Ukenye at editor@temple-news.com.

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 3

COMMUNITY

Food, hygiene resources available during break Bright Hope Baptist Church, located at 1601 N 12th Street, is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., where they serve meals to anyone who needs it, said Reverend Justin Childs. They also host produce giveaways every Friday starting at 10:15 a.m., where they hand out food products until they run out.

Temple students can visit Mondays through Fridays between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., to take any food products from their store room for themselves or family members, Childs said.

To receive a meal or food products, individuals do not need to show identification and are allowed to request extra meals or extra produce, he added.

Bright Hope Baptist Church will not be open from Dec. 27 until Dec. 31.

Services for accessing food and toiletries in Philadelphia amid Temple’s winter break closure.

BY EMERSON MARCHESE Longform Editor

T

emple University will close for winter break from Dec. 22 to Dec. 31. Temple’s Cherry Pantry, a food pantry for students, will close from Dec. 21 and reopen on Jan. 4.

Due to labor shortages and supply chain disruptions happening across the country, the cost of grocery store items has increased 5.3 percent since Fall 2020, according to The U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In 2020, 16.3 percent of residents experienced food insecurity, according to the City of Philadelphia.

The Temple News has compiled a list of places and resources students can visit or access for food services near Temple’s Main Campus.

TEMPLE CHERRY PANTRY The Cherry Pantry is located in room 224A in the Howard Gittis Student Center and operates from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays. They are open on Dec. 7, 8 and 9 and Dec. 14, 15 and 16, said Ayala Gedeon, the program coordinator for the dean of students, who helps oversee Cherry Pantry.

The point system, which students use to access pantry supplies, will double before break. The 16 points per week each student typically receives will increase to 32 to ensure students can get enough food before break. Each student may visit the Cherry Pantry only once per week, so that there is enough food for all students, Gedeon said.

Items cost between one and three points. One point items include canned goods and snacks; two point items include cereal, canned meats, macaroni and cheese and milk when available; three point items include cereal in bulk, jelly, pasta and sauce, peanut butter and rice, Gedeon said.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS With Temple University closing for winter break, food pantries like the Cherry Pantry, located in Room 224A in the Howard Gittis Student Center, will close on Nov. 16.

The Cherry Pantry will provide students with free hygiene products, like shower gel and deodorant on Dec. 16.

They accept donations of non-perishable food and hygiene products during their hours of operation. They also have an Amazon wishlist which can be found on the Dean of Students website, where they are accepting donations of items on their list.

THE CHURCH OF THE ADVOCATE The Church of the Advocate is located near Temple’s campus at 1801 W Diamond Street.

Throughout the year, the Church of the Advocate provides hot meals from their soup kitchen on Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m., said Serafina Harris, the church’s secretary.

They will continue normal operations at their soup kitchen throughout winter break, but will close on Dec. 25.

Individuals do not need to show identification to be able to visit the soup kitchen and be provided with a meal, Harris said.

The Church of the Advocate is accept-

ing monetary donations through its website.

SALVATION ARMY TEMPLE CORPS The Salvation Army Temple Corps offers a food pantry for individuals who provide photo identification, and allow people to visit as many times a week as they need, said Natasha Rush, a case aide who works in the social services department at Salvation Army Temple Corps.

The Salvation Army, located at 1340 Brown Street, operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day.

They will be closed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.

People can access pre-packaged non-perishable food items, like canned goods, dry goods and occasionally fruits or meats, Rush said.

They will accept drop-off donations of food supplies during their hours of operation. To donate, people can call (215) 7171169 to alert a staff member on when they will be dropping off donations.

BRIGHT HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) Eligible individuals must earn less than a certain income per year which is determined by SNAP. They can apply for SNAP online through the website, or in-person at their county assistant office.

Those eligible will receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer ACCESS Card which can be used to purchase food.

Individuals who have access to SNAP may purchase items like fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, bread and cereals.

Local stores that accept SNAP benefits include: 23 Mini Market Inc. located at 2240 W Diamond Street, 20th Street Grocery Store located at 1946 W Diamond Street, the Rite Aid near White Hall located at 2131 North Broad Street as well as the Rite Aid near The Fresh Grocer at 1528 North Broad Street. emersonmarchese@temple.edu

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NEWS

The Temple News

CAMPUS

Temple community rallies for more campus safety

Parents of Temple students organized a rally to advocate for increased safety on Main Campus.

BY FALLON ROTH, MONICA CONSTABLE AND MICAH ZIMMERMAN For The Temple News Approximately 30 to 40 Temple University students, parents, community members and the Pennsylvania State Senator Sharif Street gathered at the Bell Tower on Monday morning to rally for increased campus safety and against gun violence in light of the fatal shooting of Samuel Collington, a 21-year old senior political science major, on Nov. 28 on Park Avenue near Susquehanna.

Attendees advocated for an increase in campus safety measures, a decrease in gun violence, the creation of a parent safety group to facilitate greater Philadelphia Police Department involvement in campus safety issues and more dialogue about campus safety between university administration, students and parents.

In her speech Monday morning, Virginia Jorgensen, the organizer of the rally and a parent of a senior biology major, proposed three angles for solutions to gun violence — a Temple solution, a student solution and a community solution.

In speaking about the Temple solution, Jorgensen reiterated President Jason Wingard’s Nov. 30 announcement to the Temple community detailing plans to increase Campus Safety Services by 50 percent, work with Philadelphia Police to increase their off-campus presence, collaborate with city leaders to expand anti-violence initiatives, increase availability of FLIGHT — Temple’s shuttle program — and expand the security Walking Escort Program.

Temple was pleased with the strong engagement from parents at the rally, wrote Stephen Orbanek, in a statement to The Temple News.

“We welcome their voices and input as we all work together to find solutions to this very complex issue of gun violence, which is

plaguing both Philadelphia and our nation,” Orbanek wrote.

Increased police presence is a double-edged sword, said Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of POWER Interfaith, in an interview with The Temple News on Dec. 1.

“That’s great for the students but it’s not addressing the systemic issue about why we have gun violence in the first place,” Royster said.

While an increased police presence may make some students feel safe, Black and Brown students may face implicit bias from an officer, he added.

For the student solution, five parents met and discussed their five point plan for campus safety with Temple Student Government this morning, said Billy Boyer, TSG’s chief of staff. The parents’ proposed plan included increasing FLIGHT’s availability and training students on community interactions at in-person orientation, Jorgensen said.

Other points included increasing police patrol by 50 percent and having Campus Safety Services work with the developing Temple Parent Safety Advisory Group on future initiatives, expanding Temple University Police Department’s patrol zones and improving safety infrastructure, like cameras and lights, she added.

Campus Safety Services will not expand its patrol zone at this time because they could face legal challenges, The Temple News reported.

Radee Hammett, street outreach and a hospital responder with Philadelphia Ceasefire, a gun violence prevention organization, discussed the community solutions to gun violence in his speech. Hammett believes forming relationships with block captains and youth is a critical component in addressing and mitigating the gun violence in Philadelphia.

“There’s a disconnect between the community and the patrons that come back and forth to Temple,” Hammett said. “Cohesiveness no matter the color, Black, white, no matter the race, I think that once we build solidarity together with the community and the people that’s in the community and

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Jamal Johnson, a gun control activist, sits on a bench by the Bell Tower, waiting for the parents’ rally to begin on Dec. 6.

show that there is a level of care and love, then we can move to a higher place.”

Hammett also emphasized making employment and resume-building resources available to community members can encourage individuals to avoid crime and violence, he said. Hammett believes that an increased police presence can “bridge the gap” between the community and police and show that police have an interest in showing up for the community.

“The university and the city both need to align to try to address gun violence a lot more aggressively,” said Jamal Johnson, a gun control activist. “Ultimately, everyone needs to be more welcomed into the conversation.”

Many bills promoting gun control, like Senate Bill 292, which bans assault weapons, have not gained much traction in the Republican-controlled state legislature, Street said.

“There’s no bipartisan work or very little bipartisan support for, no meaningful bipartisan support, for gun control,”

Street said.

Cindy Macsay, a parent of a freshman sport and recreation management major, is concerned about her son’s safety and believes focusing on the North Philadelphia community is an important step to reducing gun violence, Macsay said.

It is important that the university invests in partnerships with community organizations focused on anti-violence and anti-gun work, as well as provide financial resources, expertise, research capabilities and tools and resources, Royster said on Dec. 1.

“Gun violence, violence in the community is the symptom, it’s not the disease,” Royster said. “I don’t think focusing directly on gun violence in and of itself is good, I think doing good solid community policing will help reduce the issue around gun violence.” fallon.roth@temple.edu monica.constable@temple.edu micah.zimmerman@temple.edu

The Temple News

NEWS

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CORONAVIRUS

Health director reflects on navigating COVID-19 Denys used lessons he learned from previous outbreaks to help combat COVID-19 at Temple.

BY MONICA CONSTABLE Assistant News Editor Mark Denys, senior director of Temple University Student and Employee Health Services, has helped prepare Temple University for five infectious disease outbreaks — Swine Flu, mumps, the Ebola and Zika viruses and COVID-19 — since he began managing the health departments in 2004.

Denys outlined three basic goals that he implemented throughout each of the outbreaks – keeping people informed and educated, treating anybody who is sick and protecting others from catching the virus.

During the Ebola and Zika viruses, Student Health Services led a contact tracing initiative, also a key component in keeping track of the university’s COVID-19 cases, Denys said. Student Health Services responded to the mumps and swine flu outbreaks by implementing vaccination clinics, which helped inform the vaccination clinics Temple hosted for COVID-19.

During the Swine Flu, or H1N1 flu strain, outbreak in the United States in the fall of 2009, Denys remembers driving to the Philadelphia Health Department, and putting flu vaccines in the back of his Subaru to take back to campus — a contrast to the university’s current, more sophisticated COVID-19 vaccination efforts, he said.

While none have required the extent of the planning, preparations and mitigation efforts that have been necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, Denys and Student Health Service’s experiences navigating previous outbreaks has helped inform their response to COVID-19, Denys said.

Currently, Denys is tracking the number of COVID-19 cases in Philadelphia, the university’s cases and hospital admissions with an internal spreadsheet and frequently checking Temple’s and Philadelphia’s COVID-19 dashboards, Denys wrote in an

MARK DENYS / COURTESY Mark Denys, senior director of Temple University Health Services, helps set up a vaccine clinic in White Hall last spring.

email to The Temple News.

Denys, who worked about 50 hours in a typical pre-pandemic work week, manages Student Health Services’ daily operations by overseeing all employees, payroll, staffing, schedules, accessibility, affordability and budgets, he said.

During the 2020-21 academic year and the height of the pandemic, Denys’ responsibilities grew and he started working 70 to 80 hours per week from February 2020 to April 2021. In February 2020, he began collaborating with University Housing and Residential Life to create spaces for quarantining students, following public health guidance from city, state and federal officials, Denys said.

During this time, he was also keeping track of COVID-19 test results and sending them to the contact tracers, Denys added

“At one point, there’s really six different websites and testing sites that I was looking at,” Denys said. “Taking all those positive results and making sure they all got to the contact tracers as quickly as possible and still checking them throughout the day.”

Denys was also the chief operating officer for the surge hospital at the Liacouras Center which opened on April 16, 2020, and operated until early May 2020, and helped alleviate the pressure placed on Philadelphia health systems by transferring patients to a hospital with open beds, Denys said.

“That was a really intense six weeks building a hospital out of a basketball court in about two weeks and getting it ready to see patients safely in two weeks was pretty crazy,” Denys said.

Denys’ primary mission throughout the pandemic is ensuring that students can

receive their education and that employees can work safely, Denys said.

Denys had to direct most of his focus on his pandemic-related responsibilities and has not been able to focus much on the day-to-day operations for Student Health Services since January 2020, he said. While working throughout the pandemic has been a challenge, Denys’ colleagues have assisted him in his usual responsibilities.

“He’s almost like a friend to everyone in the department too, he’s very personable,” said Shawn Cleary, assistant director of information technology for Student and Employee Health Services. “You can go into his office at any time, his doors always open when he’s not on a Zoom, and you can talk about anything from Star Wars to the Flyers,” he added.

Denys played a key role in making “robust” changes to Student Health Services, said Bill Wilkinson, the senior associate vice president for finance and administration in the Provost’s office and member of the university’s COVID-19 steering committee with Denys.

The number of visits to Student Health Services on Main Campus for nonCOVID-19 related issues have increased from 26,000 to 50,000, a positive change because access has increased which allowed more students to receive help, Denys wrote.

With the experience of the 2020-21 academic year, Student and Employee Health Services were more prepared to test tens and thousands of people a week, he added.

“For the light at the end of the tunnel, I guess that would be it,” Denys said. “Fewer people being hospitalized, which ultimately will lead to fewer people dying, which ultimately will lead to us finally getting through this and getting even more back to normal.”

Fallon Roth contributed reporting. monica.constable@temple.edu @mconstable7

NEWS

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The Temple News

CAMPUS

Shuttle struggles with capacity limits on weekends FLIGHT gets 800 to 900 requests on an average weekend and has a 96 percent trip sucess rate.

BY FALLON ROTH News Editor FLIGHT, Temple University’s shuttle service, plans to implement new changes to its program in light of President Jason Wingard’s Nov. 30 announcement to the Temple community, which expressed an intent to increase FLIGHT’s availability.

FLIGHT’s “campus partners” will accept feedback from students to help them improve the program, wrote Mark Gottlieb, senior associate director of operations and logistics, in an email to The Temple News.

“If consistent themes emerge from the survey results, we will begin implementing changes,” Gottlieb wrote. “This is a priority of our plans for increased safety and to help us improve this system.”

Gottlieb hopes FLIGHT will be able to start implementing changes in the beginning of the spring semester, he wrote.

During the fall semester, FLIGHT did not have enough seating capacity on their shuttle buses to keep up with the increased demand of students requesting the service for safety reasons and to avoid the cold, especially on Friday and Saturday nights — FLIGHT’s busiest nights of the week, said Richard Sutcliffe, the evening shift transportation area manager.

Sutcliffe monitors the service’s dashboard nightly and often sees groups of students trying to get on the same shuttle bus that may not have enough seating capacity on the vehicle, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, he said.

Jacqueline Farina, a junior legal studies major, uses FLIGHT to go from 17th Street and Cecil. B Moore Avenue to 17th Street and Diamond to go to her friends’ houses, she said.

“The only bad thing I would have to say about it is the wait times can sometimes be really long, where it would only take me like 10 minutes to walk somewhere instead, so I’ll just end up doing that,” Farina said.

FLIGHT management is discussing

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS FLIGHT, Temple University’s shuttle service, is available after 7 p.m. and travels between Cumberland Street and Girard and 5th Street and 20th. FLIGHT management plans to increase ride availability.

increasing the capacity on shuttle buses or adjusting service hours to reach a 100 percent success rate on all drives, Sutcliffe said. As of now, the service is at a 96 percent success rate, he added.

FLIGHT measures their success rate by determining how many students requested a ride that day and divides it by the number of completed rides, Sutcliffe said.

There are 16 seats available on four of the six shuttles. The other two shuttle buses have 12 seats because they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and need to accommodate spaces for wheelchairs, Sutcliffe said.

FLIGHT receives 500 to 600 requests on an average weekday and 800 to 900 requests on an average weekend, Sutcliffe said.

Rachel McCormick, a senior fi-

bers and material studies major, uses FLIGHT during the week when she is at the studio late at night and needs to get back to her apartment at 17th Street and French, she said.

McCormick, who appreciates how the drivers wait until she is safely inside her apartment, also tries to use FLIGHT on Friday and Saturday nights when she attends parties, but has run into some issues with long wait times, she said.

Sometimes, if a FLIGHT ride takes too long, McCormick and her friends will “brave the cold” and walk home, she said.

During the week, McCormick’s wait times have been between 20 to 25 minutes, while on the weekends she has seen wait times up to 40 minutes, she added FLIGHT requests decline after 1:30 a.m., so only some drivers contin-

ue operating until 3 a.m., Sutcliffe said.

FLIGHT may adjust the shifts of their drivers, so that more are available until 3 a.m., he added.

Students must request a ride using the TapRide app and input their phone number. All requests must be submitted by 2:15 a.m., according to the app.

FLIGHT services are available after 7 p.m. during the Fall 2021 semester and can travel between Cumberland and Girard Streets and 5th and 20th Streets, according to Campus Operations.

Linh Nguyen, a freshman data science major, uses FLIGHT because it makes her feel safer and allows her to avoid the cold weather when she travels to 18th Street and Norris from the Jonhson and Hardwick dining hall about two to three times a week, she said.

Nguyen sometimes experiences longer wait times and occasionally a driver will cancel her ride request but eventually another driver will show up, she said.

Driver cancellations are a result of capacity issues and students taking too long to board the FLIGHT or not showing up at all, Sutcliffe said.

“Maybe Friday and Saturday it is a capacity issue,” Sutcliffe said. “But at the same time, Fridays and Saturdays, no-shows are through the roof. We have sometimes 70, 80 no-shows that night so that’s a request that could have been completed.”

Campus Safety Services, previous to Wingard’s announcement, were considering a possible enhancement of FLIGHT, said Charles Leone, director of Campus Safety Services.

Besides FLIGHT, Campus Safety Services offers a Walking Escort Program — a security bike officer escorting students to their destination — between 4 p.m. and 6 a.m. and can be accessed by calling 8-9255 from a campus phone or (215) 777-9255 from a cell phone, according to Campus Safety Services.

Sutcliffe encourages students to use FLIGHT’s information line at (215) 2047377 if they need assistance. fallon.roth@temple.edu @fallonroth_

The Temple News

NEWS

PAGE 7

ADMINISTRATION

Temple completes HEERF payments to students The remaining funds from HEERF III will cover institutional needs in fiscal year 2022.

BY MICAH ZIMMERMAN Assistant News Editor Temple University received $78 million in the third installment of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund in May, half of which the university is required to distribute to students to finance personal expenses like rent, transportation and tuition.

Temple is using the other half of the relief funding to cover losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, including purchasing personal equipment, like plexiglass, providing COVID-19 vaccines and making up for the decline in housing revenue, said David Marino, interim university treasurer.

“What used to be a full dorm is now an empty dorm,” Marino said.

“So they knew we still had a cost structure. They didn’t want us to terminate everyone in facilities and housing.”

As part of the March 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, HEERF III is the third round of federal COVID-19-related relief funding to help higher education institutions support students and sustain their operations amid the pandemic.

As of the Fall 2021 semester, Temple has received a total of $151 million throughout the three HEERF installments, of which $68 million has gone to students. Temple disbursed $14.7 million to students during the first two rounds of HEERF funding, which took place in the summer of 2020 and April 2021.

Of Temple’s HEERF III funding, the university disbursed $26.5 million to the 7,600 Pell Grant-eligible students enrolled in undergraduate programs this semester, with each student receiving a $3,500 grant, wrote Stephen Or-

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple University distributed more than $39 million in HEERF III payments, in grants varying from $1,000 to $5,000, to eligible Temple students this fall.

banek, a spokesperson for the university, in a university press release.

The university disbursed an additional $11 to $12 million in the form of $1,000 grants to approximately 10,500 fall semester students who demonstrate financial need, Orbanek wrote.

Rosalee Banks, a junior criminal justice major, used the funds to help cover the cost of her daily college expenses and her daily SEPTA commute to her classes.

“It’s what I live off this semester,” Banks said. “The money has really helped me just be able to get to my classes.”

The university emailed eligible students asking them to complete a survey

about their financial needs and how the pandemic affected them, Orbanek wrote. The responses assisted the university in determining how much money to distribute to each student.

The university also disbursed roughly $280,000 of the funding in $1,000 to $3,000 grants to 142 students and nearly $1.1 million of the funding in the form of grants up to $5,000 to 227 students, Orbanek wrote.

Students chose whether to receive their HEERF III payment in the form of a check or direct deposit, Marino said.

HEERF funds are not connected to the state or city a university is located in, Marino said. The university

complied with an independent audit to ensure the funds were being used in accordance with federal guidelines, he added.

“For me it took the load off my rent stresses,” said Gayatri Campbell, a senior English major who received HEERF funds this fall. “I am always stressing about money so it was nice to have some given back to me.” micah.zimmerman@temple.edu @micahvzimmerman

PAGE 8

OBITUARY

The Temple News

Remembering Samuel Collington Friends and family discuss the life of Temple student and passionate leader Samuel Collington.

Samuel Collington, a senior political science major, was fatally shot at Park Avenue near Susquehanna on Nov. 28, The Temple News reported.

Collington was opinionated, often engaging in political debates with friends and he was so well-known in his hometown that his sister, Bailey Collington, was often referred to as “Sam’s sister,” she said.

“Even if for the rest of my life, all I was, was Sam Collington’s sister, that would still be an honor in itself,” she added.

Collington was a born leader, said Tina Moore, an Advanced Placement European history teacher and a class of 2018 adviser at Interboro High School, who taught Collington during his freshman and sophomore years.

“You have certain students that, when they come into your life, like, you know, there’s no one else like that and they’re special and there’s something different about them and Sam was one of those students,” Moore said.

He was passionate and he continuously brought that passion into the classroom when they discussed current events or held debates, she added.

Collington volunteered for voter registration, served as class president during his junior and senior years, served as the president of the Political Science Society at Temple, and interned for Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir.

Andy Costanzo, the student council adviser and the activities coordinator at Interboro, doesn’t know of a student leader better than Collington, he said.

After the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Collington was the first student to approach Interboro faculty and ask what action the school could take, Costanzo said.

The walkout Collington and other student leaders planned in-

cluded a speech he delivered and releasing 17 balloons to honor the 17 victims, Costanzo added.

He was the essence of what we try to instill in the student leaders we have, Costanzo said.

When Deborah Ann Schnellenbach, Collington’s AP English high school teacher, offered Collington a school library book about Henry Kissinger, he was hesitant to accept it because he believed it would be stealing, Schnellenbach said.

“Sam was a man of integrity, ethics and morals,” she added.

Collington lived a life of service and purpose, Schnellenbach said.

“For you Sam, we will fight your causes. For you Sam, we will tell your story,” she added.

Samuel Collington was 21 years old.

THERESA COLLINGTON / COURTESY

THERESA COLLINGTON / COURTESY

THERESA COLLINGTON / COURTESY

The Essayist

2021

The Essayist

PAGE B2

The Temple News

New ink and new perspectives symbolize growth A student describes how she I spent more time outside connecting learned to love herself through with nature and myself.

This love of nature and journey the meaning behind her tattoo.

BY SAMANTHA BRENNAN For The Temple News

I

t was hour nine. My left hand was entangled in my hair, while my right hand gripped hard onto the green pillow underneath my head. I let out deep breaths, loud screams and deranged laughs as my body convulsed in pain. At this moment I sincerely asked myself if I could make it through.

Of course, I did make it through.

Nine hours and most of my bank account later, I looked down at my new tattoo, snaking its way from the top of my foot to the back of my thigh, and I felt proud.

Not just because I made it through the tattoo, but because I made it through the year.

This tattoo was a symbol of my own truth, perseverance and growth.

During my junior year of high school, I developed an eating disorder.

After a year of countless therapy sessions, journal entries and doctor’s appointments, I considered myself fully recovered.

Last fall, I relapsed.

I forced myself to run six miles a day, fueled only by salads and smoothie bowls. I re-developed old unhealthy and irrational food rules. My life was strict, regimented and empty.

One night last year in late November, I drove to a walking trail, the same one I had run 10 miles on a month before. When I pulled into the empty parking lot, I looked around, put my car in park and cried.

I was supposed to run 6 miles, but I couldn’t get out of the car. I was exhausted, physically and mentally.

I reached my breaking point.

In January 2021, I decided to recover for the second time.

It wasn’t easy, but I did everything in my power to get better.

I started journaling again and I found healthier, more enjoyable ways to move my body, like yoga and walking.

to self-discovery led me on a cross-country road trip to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, where I lived and worked during the summer. While I was there, I met the kindest and most interesting people from across the globe.

Living on my own, among mountains and wildlife, spending time with people who were once complete strangers, made me see the importance of letting myself enjoy whatever life threw my way.

After returning home, my old food rules and body-image issues still lingered in the back of my mind. However, I chose not to listen to them, because life, I realized, is about gaining experiences and knowledge, not losing pounds and sanity.

Rather than trying to shrink into this unattainable figure of female beauty, I decided to grow, both physically and mentally.

Prioritizing my own happiness;

ETHAN CARROLL / THE TEMPLE NEWS

eating, doing and saying what I wanted allowed me to recognize all the parts of myself I had been suppressing, like my curiosity of the world, myself and my sexuality.

I feel like I’m finally the person I was always meant to be.

I’m living on my own again, in my first off-campus apartment, with three roommates who have become my closest friends. I became a staff writer for Refine Magazine, a women’s magazine run by Temple students, and the public relations coordinator for Queer Student Union.

Living openly as a lesbian and following my career goals of writing and activism within my extracurricular activities has allowed me to find meaning and truth in my life.

It took me a while, but I can finally say I love my life and myself. That is why I decided to get this new tattoo, to celebrate my growth.

The vines wrapping around

my leg represent my connection with nature and experiences in Yellowstone.

The two leaves on the top of my foot curve into the shape of the National Eating Disorder Awareness symbol, my reminder to keep fighting, even when it gets hard.

“Ramble On,” the title of my favorite Led Zeppelin song, sits on the back of my left thigh, symbolizing the journey of finding myself and my sexuality while encouraging me to continue growing and discovering who I am.

Looking down at my new tattoo, I can see all of the places I’ve been and things I’ve overcome.

And for that, I will forever be proud. samantha.brennan@temple.edu

The Essayist

The Temple News

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Trying to value myself more than my academics A student reflects upon unhealthy habits and her decision to prioritize self-care.

BY HAAJRAH GILANI Assignments Editor There’s a pair of leggings buried in my closet that I promised myself I’d never wear again.

Last year, I spent practically every day wearing those leggings in my bedroom while I worked at my desk, surrounded by notebooks that were running out of blank pages and frozen meals I forgot to finish eating.

Those leggings remind me that I let my need for perfection take over my life. Regardless of whether it’s about academic achievement or applying eyeliner in the morning, I feel defined by my ability to succeed in every task I complete.

I’ve always been self-critical, but my need for excellence became undeniably apparent when I began college and created a schedule that kept me continuously on my feet.

I justified my jammed schedule by telling myself that the more time I spent on academics and extracurriculars, the more I would grow as a student and a journalist.

When Temple initially transi-

tioned to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was so determined to keep my momentum that I failed to consider how it would affect my relationships with others and with myself. Instead of leaning on my friends and family for support during the pandemic, I pushed them away in order to focus on my work.

In quarantine, I was determined to avoid feeling as stuck as I felt the summer before college. Toward the end of my senior year of high school, I thought college was an unlikely option for me because it was too expensive. Instead of celebrating that summer with my friends, I spent hours on phone calls with financial advisors, just looking for ways to afford school in the fall.

From March 2020 to May 2021, you could frequently find me crouched over my cluttered desk, typing papers and avoiding anything that I thought would slow me down. I ignored FaceTime calls, I avoided leaving my room, I set 7:00 a.m. alarm clocks before I went to bed at 4:30 a.m.

As schools and businesses

slowly began reopening in Fall 2021, I tried to maintain the lifestyle habits I adapted during the peak of the pandemic.

Yet, I worried that when I wore the same leggings everyday and disappeared to room for days, people would begin to notice. I worried that people would notice and push back against my unhealthy decisions in a way that wasn’t possible during quarantine when I was isolated.

But the transition to post-quarantine in August life was practically seamless for me because nothing had really changed. When no one commented on my excessive work habits, I realized it’s because my lifestyle during the pandemic was identical to my lifestyle beforehand.

I had always chosen work over myself.

That realization crushed me. I needed to change, I

needed to find a way to continue working towards a future as a journalist without feeling confined by it.

It was a gradual transformation that began with respecting my body’s signals.

Now, if I feel my eyes becoming heavy, I take a breath rather than a sip of an energy drink. When I haven’t heard my own voice in a while, I know it’s time to get out of my room.

For the first time, I’m accepting that long nights out with friends and waking up late can be parts of my everyday life rather than privileges I earn by working tirelessly.

Slowly, I’ve learned to close my laptop screen and make dinner plans, to go out without constantly listing everything I needed to accomplish when I return. When I start to feel work taking over my life again, I take walks, call friends, cook food and remind myself that the world will continue if I miss a deadline.

Through making new friends when the school year started and cherishing the free moments I had, I reminded myself that I’m more than a name in a byline. I am more than just the work that I do. haajrah@temple.edu @haajrahgilani

ETHAN CARROLL / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Essayist

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The Temple News

Overcoming self-doubt isn’t easy, but it’s worth it A student recounts their first time terested in an interview, and another writing for The Temple News and student who seemed intrigued about the idea, but didn’t confirm they wantthe challenges they faced.

BY JETTA HOLIDAY For The Temple News Writing an article for The Temple News was completely new for me.

Although I had experience writing stories and interviewing people for my Writing and Reporting class, freelancing was the first time that people other than myself and the professor would be reading my articles.

On Sept. 28, I decided to write for The Temple News – I couldn’t spend another semester complaining about wanting experience while refusing to take action.

As a junior, I feel like I’m behind regarding career-related experience because of my late start getting involved in clubs.

The Temple News was my first time joining a club related to my journalism major where I could practice my writing and reporting skills.

Despite frequently going to meetings, it took me a while to build up courage to take a pitch from my editor. I was worried about failing or not writing the article correctly, but I couldn’t let my self-doubt stop me.

It was time for me to get out there, I needed to put real experience on my resume, other than the experience I acquired through classes.

After I picked up a pitch, I walked out of the newsroom with a smile on my face. Picking up a pitch and writing my own story felt great, I could speak what was on my mind and show I have what it takes to become a great journalist.

I had an adrenaline rush for the rest of the night. I posted on social media asking students if they would be willing to do an interview, and researched the midterm report system professors use to indicate students’ progress.

By Friday, things weren’t going well for me. There was only one student who confirmed they would be in-

ed to talk to me.

I needed to submit my story with at least three interviews by the following Tuesday. Because I only had one interview scheduled going into the weekend, I started to doubt myself. I was afraid my article wouldn’t be published.

My editor told me I could walk up to students on campus and ask if they would like to be interviewed, but my social anxiety and fear of rejection stopped me.

I’ve always been a shy person, and I wasn’t used to talking to people I didn’t know, so the idea of talking to students on campus that I didn’t know was uncomfortable.

I didn’t know what to do. I had to decide between writing the story despite not having three interviews, or quitting.

I wanted to cut t h e story completely. I thought giving up would be easier and I

wouldn’t feel overwhelmed and pressured to finish the story.

But I didn’t give up, I knew it would only push me further back from reaching my full

potential. Eventually, I would regret not having the story published and I would resent myself for not finishing what I started.

Although one of the reasons why I joined The Temple News was to get more experience with reporting, I also joined because I loved to write. Since the seventh grade, I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in journalism.

And now that I was so close to making it, I couldn’t give up.

I overcame my feelings of doubt and failure by imagining my name and very first article published in the newspaper – a start to my future career.

I imagined my family and friends applauding me for my huge accomplishment. I could see my article being framed and placed on our mantlepiece for everyone to see.

As I envisioned it all, I was filled with excitement, just like when I picked up a pitch. With that excitement, I posted again on social media,

scheduled the other two interviews I needed and finished my article.

Finally, after another long week of editing, my very first article was published in The Temple News on Oct. 12.

The first thing I did was share it on my social media for my friends and family to see.

My family applauded me like I imagined. My parents bragged to their friends, telling them how I wrote an article for Temple’s student newspaper. My family shared my story on Facebook and congratulated me. The praise encouraged me to pick up more pitches for The Temple News.

Writing my first article was challenging but in a good way. Although I was nervous about getting out of my comfort zone, it helped me build more confidence in myself and my work. jetta.holiday@temple.edu

ETHAN CARROLL / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Temple News

The Essayist

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Exploring my gender throughout the pandemic The pandemic allowed me to evaluate my gender without fear of backlash from others.

BY WENDY GARCIA For The Temple News Before the start of the pandemic, I thought I was a cisgender woman who despised the gender expectations set on me.

I never deeply analyzed instances when I rejected the gender norms dumped onto me by my peers and society or why I didn’t always like being seen in a feminine way.

As a child, I disliked wearing skirts and dresses, which prompted my mother to make comments about me not being girly enough. It annoyed me that I had to do certain things to feel validated in a society that instills gender roles on people, but I didn’t think much of it because I still viewed gender as being binary and felt closest to being a woman.

Growing up, I was taught people were either men or women. Because I never felt like a man, I continued seeing myself as a woman. It wasn’t until I learned about nonbinary people through social media in my teen years that my ideas on gender started to change.

When I learned about nonbinary people, I was happy there was a way for people who feel constricted by the gender binary to look at gender differently. Because my peers saw me as a woman, I still didn’t think so much about my relationship with gender until the COVID-19 pandemic because I felt hesitant in expressing anything that wasn’t feminine.

Being more isolated during the pandemic gave me the freedom to explore my gender that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had been around people who had their own ideas of who I was. I was less worried about backlash on my gender exploration and more comfortable exploring it in private.

Toward the end of 2020, I started experimenting with my hair by getting bangs and layers, which led me to start experimenting with how I wanted other people to perceive me.

I had always tried to appear more feminine to make up for other aspects of myself that I was told weren’t feminine, like my voice and body figure, so it felt liberating and fun to branch out.

In late December 2020, I started considering going by they/them pronouns in addition to she/her. I was scared of changing my pronouns to include they/them, fearing I’d be invalidated by others who didn’t understand my changing relationship with gender.

These worries quickly subsided as I have received positive responses from my peers who were willing to start using they/them pronouns for me. Although I want people to chal-

lenge how they see me and my gender, it’s been relieving to be surrounded by open-minded people.

Shifting to in-person activities and interactions has made me aware of how people still

CARLY CIVELLO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

v i e w me as a woman even after knowing my gender because of their close-minded perspectives.

A couple people have called me a woman despite knowing I’m nonbinary. I’ve also had several peers never refer to me using they/them pronouns while knowing my preference for those pronouns. Although it felt upsetting, I wasn’t too surprised because of how many people might expect me to look androgynous to respect my gender.

I sometimes feel like I have to

change my appearance to an androgynous presentation for others to recognize my gender. Although I’ve looked into expressing androgynously, I still feel connected to appearing feminine and don’t want to change myself so people respect my gender.

There are still aspects of my gender I’m unsure about or are constantly changing, like what femininity, masculinity and androgyny mean to me and the labels I use to describe my gender.

I still feel a connection to femininity because of the experiences I share with women and the traits I possess typically associated with being feminine, like sensitivity and intuitiveness. However, I’ve questioned what it means to be feminine and if it can be up to my individual interpretation, which has led me to question my connection to masculinity and androgyny.

I have gone through several labels to describe my gender. My current labels are nonbinary and agender. My understanding of gender has constantly changed as I reflect more on how I see myself and how I want to be perceived by others, which has led to me to learn about through different labels and seeing what resonates with my current feelings.

I never anticipated my gender exploration to be so complex and overwhelming. But I am grateful to have had the chance to take a deeper look into a big aspect of my identity during the pandemic where I have felt less judgment from society. wendy.garcia@temple.edu

LIVE Philly in

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS A vendor hands a customer her card back during the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market held at the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

A celebration of heritage The One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market held their first ever holiday pop-up market on Dec. 4

BY AMBER RITSON Co-Photo Editor

M

embers of the West Philadelphia community gathered in the newly renovated Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, located on 47th Street between Aspen and Brown, on Dec. 4 for the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market’s first-ever holiday pop-up market, featuring handcrafted items from Black artists.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., event-goers were encouraged to buy Black and support local businesses. Vendors sold

a variety of handcrafted items including candles, tea, woven rugs, barbecue sauce and spiritual items.

While the organization typically holds its annual flea markets during the summer months, Tiffany Murphy, the event’s organizer and a representative at the National African People’s Education and Defense Fund, decided to create a holiday market to help Black artists earn extra money before the holiday season, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy said.

“The pandemic has affected the Black community in so many different ways, in terms of lack of resources, lack of access to jobs and personal safety,” Murphy said. “It was just really important for us to have this to support our regulars.”

During the planning of this year’s event, the Uhuru Flea Market decided to include artists who make handcrafted goods to highlight the creativity of the Black community that often gets overlooked, Murphy said.

Textile artist Hannah Wallace, owner of Loom Woven Rugs and a 2016 African American studies alumna, has worked with the Uhuru organization many years as a vendor. She keeps returning to the organization because of the sense of community, Wallace said.

“There’s such a strong Black crafting culture out here, and we have always been here.” Wallace said. “We’re just happy to support one another and give to each other during the holidays.”

The dedication to lifting and creating a community among Black artists and business owners was one of the many reasons why Veronica Jones, a resident of Clementon, New Jersey, made the trip out to West Philadelphia on Saturday.

“It’s a celebration of our African heritage and just supporting our community. You know, we support all the communities all the time,” Jones said.

“This is an opportunity to support our own.” amber.ritson@temple.edu

MOVING CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP LEFT AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS A vendor sits at her booth arranging her handcrafted rings at the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market held at the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Hannah Wallace, owner of Loom Woven Rugs, talks to a customer at the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market held at the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS AJ Johnson, a resident of South West Philadelphia and owner of Painters and Poets, works on a painting of J. Cole at her booth at the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market held at the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Masie Blu, owner of Roots Generate, an African fashion shop, sits at her booth at the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market held at the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS A customer at the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market, browses a booth inside the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS A customer pays for handcrafted items from a vendor at the One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market holiday pop-up market held at the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, on Dec. 4.

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The Essayist

The Temple News

Shopping at comic book stores helps me connect A student shares his experience going back to in-person shopping at local comic book stores.

BY EDEN MacDOUGALL Assisstant Features Editor I read comics briefly in high school but nothing stuck.

Then, in my freshman year of college, I discovered the Ultimate Spider-Man comics starring Miles Morales. The comic was exciting, especially because I had never heard of someone other than Peter Parker being Spider-Man before.

Spider-Man crossed over with other titles and I started reading those too. Before I knew it, I was hooked.

The more I read, the more I felt a part of the comic book community. I didn’t have many friends in high school or at the start of college, so this was one of the few ways I was able to meet people and socialize.

A few months after I got into comics, I started buying comics at local comic book stores, like Wade’s Comic Madness and Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse instead of through Amazon or Barnes & Noble’s website in 2018.

When the pandemic began, and the local stores I frequented temporarily closed, I started going stir crazy. I tried to pass time by streaming movies with my friends and rereading the comics I already had. But escapism was no substitute for leaving the four walls of my apartment.

Going to the store in-person was the only source of connection I had to other fans outside of the internet.

While the internet let me connect with people I would never have met otherwise, the comic book community in my own backyard was special in its own way because I could see who I was talking to, which bolstered the sense of community.

Some stores offered curbside pickup but there was little opportunity for conversation that way. The cashier would step outside, take my credit card, go back inside, step back out with my books and card and disappear back

into the store.

I understood their desire to protect themselves and anyone they might live with from COVID-19, but I felt lonely.

It got worse when Diamond Comics Distributor stopped shipping comics because of the pandemic from April 1 to May 20, interrupting ongoing storylines and pushing back release dates.

Not only had I lost the ability to connect with other fans in person, but now the ongoing comics I was reading were being put on hold, too.

The first time I went back to a comic book store was when I went to Fat Jack’s Comicrypt last March. I was looking for old Star Trek comics and Fat Jack’s was the only store with them in stock.

It was a little strange w a l k i n g into the store the first time but being able

t o s i t on the floor and sort through the back issues was almost therapeutic. I was able to take my mind off everything else going on in my life, I didn’t think about anything other than the books I was looking at.

I didn’t talk to anyone there that day but after a few trips for more Star Trek comics, the cashier started to recognize me and we would chat for a little bit about the books I was buying.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to ease my loneli-

ness for a while.

The last time I went was on Nov. 23 to get a copy of “DC vs Vampires #2” and look through more back issues just to see what I could find. When I was checking out at the register the cashier started talking to me about “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and threw in the sketchbook for the first two “Next Generation” movies for free.

I was touched by the gesture. It was the first time since the pandemic started I felt seen on a personal level.

Being given the sketchbook showed that I am more than just a face in a crowd and there is a place where I can share my weird interests w i t h others.

The pandemic isn’t over yet, but I’m glad that I can connect with other people in person again. These small conversations help bring back that sense of community I felt prior to the start of the pandemic and give me something to look forward to. eden.macdougall@temple.edu

ETHAN CARROLL / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Temple News

The Essayist

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Going to therapy isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength A student recounts how their misconceptions about therapy changed after their first session.

BY JULIA MEROLA Opinion Editor In January, I went to therapy for the first time when I felt like the stress of college and my need for perfectionism was becoming unbearable.

I was dealing with the stress of school in unhealthy ways. Instead of doing helpful things to relieve stress, like journaling or going for walks, ignored my feelings and increased my workload. ​I decided to go to therapy because the stress I was experiencing was unmanageable. I was close to reaching my breaking point.

Before I saw a therapist, I thought going to therapy or asking for help was a sign of weakness, because I would be admitting defeat. I don’t know where I got these misconceptions, but they stuck with me throughout the days leading up to my appointment.

ETHAN CARROLL / THE TEMPLE NEWS

I didn’t think I’d like therapy or find it useful. I thought it would be another person telling me what I should or should not be doing.

However, my expectations were quickly challenged.

At my first appointment, my therapist did not tell me what to do, not even once. Instead, she asked me questions about why I reached out and made an appointment, and how I was currently coping with my anxiety.

I had never been asked these questions before, and I didn’t know what to say. So I told my therapist that I didn’t know.

After my first appointment, I felt encouraged to come to her office again the following week.

During my second appointment, we talked more about what I felt was causing my anxiety at school.

I told her that I was used to being the best at almost everything. I had A’s all throughout middle and high school and a near-perfect GPA. I received my first B in college, and I told her I immediately felt like a failure after I saw that grade. I wasn’t used to not being the best or not getting perfect scores.

Again, she asked me what my

coping skills were. I told her I didn’t really know, occasionally I journaled but that was the extent of it.

While she said my journaling was a good idea, she also taught me two different coping strategies in that same session. The first was to make a closed fist with my hand, to squeeze it as hard as I could and then to release it.

The second was to tap different pressure points, like my wrists, temples, under eyes, below my nose, collarbone and under my arms.

I thought she sounded ridiculous as tapping pressure points or squeezing my fists was not going to solve my problems.

Not long after I left my therapist’s office, I had a panic attack.

I don’t remember what caused it, but I will never forget the way my heart was racing and the weakness I felt throughout my whole body.

Without realizing it, I started doing the tapping method I had just learned.

I started by tapping the pressure points on my wrists, moving up to my temples, followed by under my eyes, below my nose, my collarbone and under my arms.

After initially tapping my wrists, my focus shifted away from my anxiety and into the tapping.

While this was not my first anxi-

ety attack, it was my first time trying a method like this, and it surprisingly worked.

After I calmed down, I realized how therapy had helped me with my anxiety.

While the tapping didn’t make my anxiety magically disappear, it focused my attention elsewhere and allowed me to calm down.

After I settled down, I immediately reached for my phone and booked another appointment.

I’ve been in therapy for almost a year now. I don’t see my therapist every week because of school, but when I do see her, my appointments always leave me feeling like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

While my therapist doesn’t tell me what to do, she does tell me what I can do to better cope with anxiety. She’s helped me more than I could possibly explain.

I don’t ignore my anxiety anymore.

When I feel stressed, I actively look for ways to divert my attention, whether it’s through tapping, going outside or journaling. For the first time, I don’t feel consumed by my anxiety. julia.merola@temple.edu @juliaamerola

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The Essayist

The Temple News

Jamaica isn’t my vacation, it’s my second home Visiting my father’s side of Jamaica further instilled my Jamaican identity in me.

BY GENESIS REDDICKS For The Temple News In June 2021, I traveled to Jamaica for the first time since the pandemic started. It was my first time going to Jamaica with my dad, and it was a trip we had planned prior to the pandemic.

I’ve traveled to Jamaica on multiple occasions with my mom, who grew up in the St. Catherine parish, which is near Kingston, the country’s capital, where she went to school. My dad grew up in the Westmoreland parish, located on the other side of the island.

The trip was especially important to me because I got to see Jamaica from my father’s perspective.

Prior to this visit I always stayed with my maternal grandparents in St. Catherine because my parents are divorced, and I traveled with them

separately. Even though I had traveled to Jamaica before, I never felt truly connected to my roots there. However, this recent trip made me realize that Jamaica is a part of my identity.

My father had arrived in Jamaica about a month before I did. When I got in the car from the airport, he began excitedly telling

me facts about the area he grew up in.

On one of the first nights, I went to a party to celebrate the life of a family friend’s uncle. My father explained that when someone passes away, the entire neighborhood comes out to drink, dance and socialize as a way to commemorate the person who passed.

The entire neighborhood was present.

The elders sat under tents, chatting. The younger adults stood around outside lightly dancing to the music with drinks in their hands, while their children ran around playing with each other.

The elders eventually turned in for the night, and more young people began showing up. There was one small shack in the middle of the outing with laser lights coming through the windows. I got a quick glimpse of girls in the middle “wineing”, a dance often paired with dancehall music, while guys stood watching them.

I loved that instead of mourning someone in sadness, the community could celebrate them.

That was my first example of a local community coming out to be together,

and while I mostly observed, I felt comfortable, not foreign.

I was in Jamaica for two weeks but never stayed in the same place for long. My dad and I drove all throughout Jamaica, almost circling the entire coast.

While in Westmoreland, he showed me the factory town where he grew up. My

dad never complained once about his childhood in his nice, but somewhat small home that seven people shared.

Compared to the life I had in the United States, my dad’s childhood would not be suitable for me. However, my dad talked about all the privileges he had compared to his friends at the time. He lived a comfortable life in Jamaica.

My father explained that there was a class system based on the level you worked in the factory. Because my grandfather worked security, he was given “middle-class” housing, which was a lot better off than other employees.

Because I had only seen my mother’s home, I could only identify with the Jamaica that she had known. My mom experienced more city life than my father. My mom’s family had lots of farmland, and were generally well off. Additionally, my mother was not raised in a fully Jamaican household, as her mother is from Guyana.

When I visited her home, I was a child, which limited my ability to explore and speak to many people outside of family and friends. This time, I had plenty of freedom.

Additionally, this was only one half of my Jamaican identity.

I had an entire family and culture on my dad’s side

that I didn’t know much about other than through stories from my paternal family in the States.

I felt like I’d found a missing piece of my identity by seeing my dad’s childhood home, which answered my questions about his life that I had only imagined previously.

While I only stayed in Jamaica for two weeks, I felt fully embraced by the culture and the people there. For years, I proudly claimed my Jamaican roots, but internally never felt truly connected to them because I had only grown up and known life in the U.S. Being fully accepted by the people I met ultimately gave me confidence in my Jamaican-American identity that I did not have before this trip. When I go back to Jamaica, I won’t hesitate to learn more about my family history and explore the island on my own accord.

Meeting my dad’s family and friends and experiencing his side of Jamaica made me realize that I could call this place my home.

Next time I go back, I won’t say I’m going on vacation, I will say that I am going back home. genesis.reddicks@temple.edu

NADIYAH TIMMONS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Temple News

The Essayist

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On commencement, COVID and my college career A first-generation student reflects on finishing college during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BY TYLER PEREZ For The Temple News The other day, as I lie in bed, I stared at an email from the College of Education and Human Development, the bright, artificial glare of my phone screen providing one of the few sources of light in my dim, cold room, save for the faded, flickering image of “Schitt’s Creek” on TV. I mustered enough strength to read the subject line, the words “Commencement Updates” appearing in fuzzy, white letters, and I smiled for the first time since my symptoms kicked in.

In a few weeks, I’d be student teaching — come May 2022, I’ll be graduating. It’s an accomplishment I’d once thought was always out of reach for me, the first in his family to go to college. To walk across that stage and celebrate every ounce of hard work I’d invested in this degree — all the hours of relentless studying and latenight shifts at work — that was just a dream that hadn’t felt real until this moment.

“I’m going to be a college graduate,” I told myself, then turned off my phone to save my sore eyes as I continue laying in bed, my body too exhausted from days of fighting a virus. I’d just tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before, and as I write this essay, my symptoms are on the decline and I’m alone in my apartment, stuck in isolation, trying to finish assignments I pushed off at the beginning of my quarantine.

Getting COVID in my final months of college forced me to reflect on how a virus that didn’t exist when I applied to Temple University has irreversibly altered my academic career, and how knowing that fact makes me even prouder to graduate.

I remember my insistence that I couldn’t handle college back in high school: maybe I wasn’t intelligent or driven or rich enough, thoughts that echoed in my head after my first semester of college as I stared at my first set of straight A’s.

I remember my shaky, trepidatious foot stepping into the Honors Lounge during my first semester to ask how I could join the

program, sure I couldn’t make it in — that moment rests in my memory as I conduct research for my Honors Thesis Project today. If there’s one thing I can thank Temple for, it’s making me confident in my academic abilities and pushing me to explore opportunities that led me to where I am now.

That drive to meet my academic potential came to fruition during my sophomore year, particularly my Spring 2020 semester, when I took courses in literary movements and genres that I was deeply interested in,

and helped people with their writing as an editor at The Temple News.

Then, the pandemic happened.

Persevering through a pandemic while completing your degree is especially significant as a first-generation student because you don’t have anyone to explain how financial aid or graduation requirements work.

Navigating four years of college with only your

ETHAN CARROLL / intuition to guide you is an already THE TEMPLE NEWS taxing responsibility on top of completing coursework and holding down whatever job comes your way: but to add the mental, emotional and – with my recent infection – physical tolls of an all-consuming pandemic

on top of it? I’d bet high-school-me is surprised I haven’t dropped out yet.

The fact that I haven’t — and that I’ve continued to explore new academic and extracurricular responsibilities, from peer teaching an undergraduate English class to editing this very newspaper last year — makes me prouder than I’ve ever been before.

Learning to teach during a pandemic has been my greatest challenge during the past year and a half. I’d sit alone in Charles Library having never seen my classmates or professor before while reading about how learning is a social process best achieved by interacting with others. How painfully ironic those words are today as I surf through a stack of library books and write my final papers in isolation from the rest of the world.

In a few days, I’ll be out of quarantine, but the pressures of the pandemic won’t disappear: they’ll still be present each day of my student teaching. They’re a part of my academic journey, something that’s touched every paper, project and lesson plan I’ve written since March 2020.

When I walk across that commencement stage in a few short months, I won’t wonder what these four years would’ve looked like without the pandemic’s imprint on them. It’s my reality, and one I’m proud of living through.

But as I lay in bed today, my laptop spread across my legs as I frantically catch up on missed homework, there’s something extra special about the confetti cluttering the Canvas site when I submit a final paper.

It’s a small reminder of my accomplishments that could’ve been derailed by a pandemic that’s touched every sector of my life.

Every time I see that confetti, I smile a bit.

When I walk across that stage in May, you can bet I’ll be smiling even more, even if it’s under a mask. tyler.perez@temple.edu @tylerperez___

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FEATURES

The Temple News

COMMUNITY

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Haweh Kwaidah, a junior biology major, sings “Imagine” by John Lennon to the crowd at the Bell Tower during the candlelight vigil on Dec. 6.

TSG holds candlelight vigil for deceased students The vigil memorialized the around campus,” said Boyer, a senior lence between each name.

He read a statement from Kelelives of five Temple University adult and organizational development major and chief of staff at TSG. men’s roommates about her love of nastudents who died this year.

BY EDEN MacDOUGALL AND ROSIE LEONARD For The Temple News

A

s band members played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” students, family, friends and community members gathered around the Bell Tower holding candles to honor the student whose lives were lost this year.

Last night, Temple Student Government hosted a candlelight vigil at The Bell Tower, memorializing the lives of students Samuel Collington, Katherine Kelemen, Matthew Melendez, Jimmy Peterman and April Rochester, who died this year.

Billy Boyer felt it was important to bring not just the Temple University community together, but everyone in the surrounding areas, to honor the students’ lives and give individuals the opportunity to properly grieve and mourn together, he said.

“They were really great students and their absences have been really felt

The vigil started at 6 p.m. with opening remarks by Bradley Smutek, a senior history major and president of TSG. “As seen tonight, when faced with tragedy, our community stands united,” Smutek said. “I hope tonight’s event can provide some solace to everybody affected.”

Following Smutek’s remarks, Father Shaun Mahoney from the Newman Center gave an invocation. Mahoney read the names of the five students who died and spoke about the importance of grieving together and the lessons that can be learned from death.

“From death, we come to appreciate the value of a life,” Mahoney said.

Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, a theater, film and media arts professor, read a poem she wrote about mortality, called “For the Time Being.” The poem reflected on how brief life can be and the nature of death.

After Williams-Witherspoon, Kyle Osborne, a political science and communications and social influence double major and TSG’s director of pride and traditions, read the names of the deceased students with a moment of si-

ture and described her as a “kind, caring, beautiful soul.”

Following the moments of silence was a speech from Collington’s cousin, Shane Collington.

Shane Collington thanked TSG for hosting the vigil and offered condolences to the families of the other deceased students before reflecting on all of his memories with Samuel Collington.

“Sam took pride in what he studied and stood for,” Shane Collington said.

“He spent all of his free time raising awareness about the things that mattered most to him. The times I was able to see him this year, he was always able to light up every room he walked into.”

Shane Collington concluded his speech by reading “How Do We Go On” a poem by writer John Mark Green about grief and healing.

Shane Collington’s speech was followed by Haweh Kwaidah, a junior biology major, who sang “Imagine” by John Lennon.

Kameryn Moore, a senior public relations and media studies and production major and director of outreach and engagement at TSG, then recited a poem,

“When Tomorrow Starts without Me,”

by Erica Shea Liupaeter, which reflects on death and grief from the perspective of the dead.

Quaiser Abdullah and Chris Owens from Interfaith Philadelphia, a collaboration between religious leaders from different faiths to promote diversity, concluded the vigil, speaking on the importance of the community coming together, sharing memories and supporting each other.

“The stories that you hear tonight matter, sharing them together matters, remembering and being in these moments together matter,” Owens said. mary.rose.leonard@temple.edu eden.macdougall@temple.edu

MOVING CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP LEFT AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS A man sits on the grass by the Bell Tower with his head in his hands during the vigil held by the Temple Student Government on Dec. 6.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Students bow in prayer to remember the Temple students who have died this year in a candlelight vigil held by TSG on Dec. 6.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS A student holds a candle during the vigil held by the TSG by the Bell Tower on Dec. 6.

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Students gather by the Bell Tower to remember the Temple students who have died this year in a candlelight vigil held by the TSG on Dec. 6.

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Vigil-goers light candles to remember the Temple students who have died this year in a vigil held by TSG on Dec. 6.

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FEATURES

The Temple News

ALUMNI

Temple University alumna releases her first film On Nov. 16, Lydia Peterson released “Walking On,” a movie inspired by her time as a walk-on.

BY ROSIE LEONARD Features Editor As Lydia Peterson stepped on to the court of the Liacouras Center in 2011, in her blue and gray basketball shorts and shirt, the bright lights shone in her eyes and she grew nervous about the outcome of her try-out.

“I just felt like all of my hopes and dreams were riding on this one practice,” said Peterson, executive producer, writer, director of “Walking On” and 2015 media studies and production alumna.

Peterson drew from her experiences as a “walk-on,” a player who was not scouted or recruited to be on the team, on Temple University’s women’s basketball team to create her first film, “Walking On.” On Nov. 16, it was released on streaming platforms, like Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV and Vudu, after Peterson worked on it for four years at Lid Productions, her production company, she said.

The movie is about a girl trying out for a Division I basketball team and was loosely inspired by Petersons’ own experience as a walk-on. Peterson wanted to capture the hardwork and difficulties of being a walk-on in a movie because they often go overlooked, she said.

Peterson spent the summer of 2011 leading up to her first try-out playing pick-up games and trying to prove herself to the other players, she said.

By August, Peterson attended her first practice and was asked to return the next day. Throughout her three years as a walk-on, she attended every game, practice and workout, but only played in one game, she said.

Receiving limited playing time was difficult for Peterson because she was constantly trying to better herself as a player and earn some time on the court, Peterson said.

LUKE BRUBAKER / COURTESY Lydia Peterson, a 2015 media studies and production alumna, reviews the shot angle of a clip during production of her first film, “Walking On,” at McGonigle Hall in September 2019.

“Because I knew how hard that was, and I know that a lot of people don’t know how hard that is, I was like, ‘this could be a good story,’” she said.

Peterson spent much of her time at Temple pursuing her interests, like photography and film, which led her to create Lid Productions after graduating in 2015. She started the company to have creative control over the stories she values and wants to share in media, she said Lid Productions started as a photography and short film production studio, but by using her connections from Temple and working for the MLB and NFL as a camera operator and senior live content correspondent, she was able to build a repertoire to move her production com-

pany from doing photoshoots to a movie, she said. From there, she began to write, produce and direct her first major film.

Because it was her first film, she decided to self-fund it and created a GoFundMe, raising almost $5,000 to help jumpstart the process.

She credits her success and ability to create “Walking On” to her experience at Temple and the encouragement and support she received from Paul Gluck, her former History of Electronic Media course professor, she said.

Peterson’s confident and curious personality in the classroom indicated how successful she would be, wrote Gluck, an associate professor of media studies and production, in an email to The Temple News.

“Early in her time at Temple, it was pretty clear that [Peterson] had an incandescent talent and that she was determined to use those gifts to illuminate the lives of others through her expressive storytelling,” Gluck wrote.

Peterson recruited Temple alumnae Lorian Thompson and Jazmin Walker to help with the production of the film, because of their experience in the entertainment industry, Peterson said.

When Peterson came to them with the script, they jumped on the opportunity because they wanted to see her vision come to life, said Walker, casting producer for “Walking On,” booking coordinator at CNBC and 2016 media studies and production alumna.

“We’re just really proud of [Peterson],” said Thompson, producer for “Walking On,” coordinator for content development and strategy at CBS and 2015 media studies and production alumna.

“No matter what we went through, we just knew that we wanted to make this project the best it could possibly be,” Thompson said.

Peterson plans to make more feature films and documentaries that bring depth, dignity and value to complex, interesting and non-stereotypical Black roles, she said.

She hopes “Walking On” will encourage viewers to never give up on themselves or their dreams, she added.

“It’s no small thing to chase after something that you’re dreaming of,” Peterson said. “That’s a hard thing to do, and then to commit to it, and to not make anyone make you feel like you’re crazy or dumb for going after a dream — that’s something to be proud of, and I want people to feel encouraged by that.” mary.rose.leonard@temple.edu

The Temple News

FEATURES

PAGE 23

CULTURE

Students celebrate Hanukkah at Temple University Jewish organizations hosted Hanukkah events to give students a sense of community.

BY EDEN MacDOUGALL Assistant Features Editor While Haviva Landis missed making latkes and lighting the menorah with her family, she was grateful she could still celebrate with other Jewish students on campus at the Chabad house.

For the first, sixth and eighth nights of Hanukkah, Landis went to Chabad, where Rabbi Baruch Kantor and his family lit their menorah and led students in the Hanukkah prayers.

“I enjoyed just having some latkes and being able to light the candle and have some nice warm soup,” said Landis, a first-year graduate psychology student, on the first night.

This year, Hanukkah was celebrated from Nov. 28 to Dec. 6, and students at Temple University were excited to participate in new and old traditions while celebrating either individually or with clubs and organizations on campus. Chabad and Hillel, organizations that promote Jewish culture on campus, both lit candles each night in addition to hosting game nights.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple after years of religious persecution by the Seleucids, an empire in Asia controlled by the Greeks, and the Jewish people’s successful rebellion, according to Chabad. Hanukkah is eight nights long because during the rededication, a menorah was lit, and oil that should have only lasted for one night, lasted for eight.

Though Hanukkah is a minor holiday, commercialism and proximity to Christmas played a role in boosting Hanukkah’s popularity and the gift-giving tradition, said Lila Corwin Berman, a history professor and director of the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History.

“There was some sense that you know that, yes, it would change Hanukkah, but it would also be a way to kind of keep American Jews feeling a sense of connection to being Jewish as opposed to taking on other traditions outside of Judaism,” Berman said.

NADIYAH TIMMONS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

In honor of the holiday, Chabad and Hillel hosted menorah lightings and events throughout the week where students could celebrate together.

Hillel also hosted cookie decorating, donut decorating and dreidel painting, said Courtney Varallo, a sophomore marketing major who works with Hillel leadership to organize Hanukkah events.

Varallo celebrated with Hillel on campus and plans on having a belated Hanukkah celebration with her family during winter break, she added. Her family traditionally lights the menorah, gives gifts and has a family dinner.

“For me, Hanukkah is just, mainly a great time to be around family and, you know, appreciate the people around me and celebrate Jewish life, Jewish culture,” Varallo said.

Madison Leonard celebrated Hanukkah with her dad’s side of the family during Fall Break and exchanged gifts. She later celebrated the first night of Hanukkah with her mom’s side of the family by lighting candles.

In addition to celebrating with her family, Leonard also went to a Philadelphia 76ers game with Chabad on Nov. 29, where there was a menorah lighting on the court.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic kept families apart last year, being together this year was special, Leonard said.

“This year was a really great Hanukkah,” she added. “I feel like everybody was really involved and together.”

Melissa Ballow cannot light candles in her residence hall because of university housing rules, so she used her electric menorah each night instead.

“It is a little bit of a bummer that I don’t get to just sit and enjoy the candle flickering on my table,” said Ballow, a graduate student secondary education major. “I do miss that homey feeling.”

She also celebrated the first night with Jewkebox, a Jewish a capella group, by making latkes, a potato pancake, and participated in the Jewkebox concert on Dec. 5, the last

night of Hanukkah.

When she was completing her undergraduate dual degrees in creative writing and publishing and editing at Susquehanna University, she would go to the Hillel house there to make latkes and watch Hanukkah movies and shows, like the Hanukkah episode of the “Rugrats” and “The Hebrew Hammer,” Ballow added.

Because Hanukkah usually falls between Thanksgiving, Ballow’s birthday and her grandmother’s birthday, it is a time for family bonding, she added.

“It represents a time to be close with my family as it starts to get darker and colder, but the inside of my home is really, really warm and that makes me feel really happy and safe,” Ballow said. eden.macdougall@temple.edu

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FEATURES

The Temple News

ON CAMPUS

Organizations relieve stress during finals week With final exams beginning Dec. 9, clubs and organizations want to help students with stress.

BY EMME MARCHESE Longform Editor CJ Smith has felt immense pressure to keep up with in-person classes this semester and is starting to feel the pressure of having to be in the classroom to take his final exams.

“It’s been hard to get back into a routine, and it’s stressful keeping up with that all semester after not having to leave my room for class for over a year,” said Smith, a junior finance major.

Students are dealing with the stress of in-person classes and finals this semester for the first time in almost two years since Temple University shut down and switched to primarily virtual learning in March 2020. Organizations like Service and Serotonin, Active Minds and the Wellness Resource Center are attempting to alleviate the pressure by providing mental health resources and events throughout finals week, which is from Dec. 9 to Dec. 15.

The transition back to in-person learning can create more stress or anxiety for students, said Janie Egan, mental well-being coordinator at The Wellness Resource Center.

“It’s a big change to go from being at home to being expected to do all of the normal activities when life for a year and a half was so different,” Egan said.

“It takes time to adjust, and that has produced more stress for students.”

Smith has taken other in-person exams this semester, and the stress he felt taking those exams is making him more nervous for his one in-person final exam, he said.

“Being in-person is definitely an added pressure,” Smith said. “I can’t remember the last time I took a Scantron test, so that’s nerve racking, especially being in a room of students when we haven’t been for so long.”

Service and Serotonin, a men-

AMBER RITSON / THE TEMPLE NEWS Students work on the computers at the Tech Center on Dec. 6 during finals week.

tal health club, is hoping to help students relax during finals and aims to bring awareness to mental health issues through volunteer work in the community year round.

Service and Serotonin will hold a yoga session on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. in Room 200D of the Howard Gittis Student Center. They will also hold a “study and vent” Zoom session on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m., where students can study while also expressing their feelings or frustrations during finals, said Aashi Shah, a senior biology major and president of Service and Serotonin.

Active Minds works to destigmatize mental health issues on campus by holding general meetings and campus events, said Mia Stavarksi, senior art therapy major and president of Active Minds. They plan to post affirmations and resources on their social media pages from Dec. 6 to Dec. 10 to help students destress.

Members in Active Minds also have

extra work and stress during finals, which is why they have their activities online, so members do not need to worry about hosting events while taking finals, Stavarski said.

“It’s something that we can at least provide for students to help them feel supported during finals,” Stavarski said.

Emmanuela Melody, a sophomore political science major, who has three in-person finals, feels more stress for this semester’s finals than she did last semester.

“It’s difficult adjusting to being in-person, and learning how to study again for in-person tests,” Melody said.

“The stress is more compelling now since classes are more than just completion and we have to focus on engaging on top of other things that could be going on.”

Melody attended the WRC mental health tabling event on Dec. 6 in the student center, and felt that learning about resources to focus on her mental

well-being was beneficial and will help her throughout finals week.

WRC is hosting two Zoom events —“Staying Present: Using Mindfulness to Manage Stress” on Dec. 7, at 3:30 p.m. and “Owl About Stress” on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. — and one in-person event, “Destress with Dogs,” at Charles Library on Dec. 8 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to teach students about managing stress, Egan said.

Hosting programs for students to explore ways to practice self-care and relax during finals is important for student’s well-being, and can help them be more productive in their work, Egan added.

“We really want to share practical tips and strategies that students can use to take care of themselves, or maybe support a friend,” Egan said. “It seems like folks are really resonating with that, especially during this stressful time.” emerson.marchese@temple.edu

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 25

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Runner makes history in her final year as an Owl Michelle Joyce is the second runner in program history to race at the NCAA Championships.

BY VICTORIA AYALA Assistant Sports Editor

F

ifth-year graduate student runner Michelle Joyce set one goal at the start of the 2021 season: qualify for the NCAA championship race.

“Qualifying for nationals was like that top goal that was pretty lofty and that I was gonna try and get,” Joyce said.

“But, I wasn’t sure if it would happen or not.”

As her collegiate cross country career came to a close, Joyce became only the second runner in cross country program history to represent Temple University at the national level, six years after former runner Blanca Fernandez.

Joyce was the program’s top runner for much of the year, achieving accolades like the only All-Conference finisher and All-Region runner on the team, assistant coach James Snyder said.

“Becoming the second athlete in the history of our women’s program to ever make the national championship is a huge, huge, huge special accomplishment,” Snyder said.

Athletes across the country had their respective seasons come to a halt due to the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, but the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility to make up for athlete’s lost seasons.

Joyce took advantage of that, opening the door for her to compete this season and qualify for the NCAA championship race. “[Joyce] cemented her place in our record book,” Snyder said. “As I would believe, as the most accomplished cross country runner we’ve ever had,” Snyder was confident Joyce would qualify for the championship race because he had been following other opponents’ performances all season. But when Snyder finally delivered the news to Joyce, it was a moment of elation, he said.

MARY HOLT / COURTESY James Synder, left, assistant cross country coach, and Michelle Joyce, right, a fifth-year graduate student runner, pose for a photo on Nov. 2.

“Once we finally got it, to give her that phone call and hear the excitement in her voice are the moments as coaches that we cherish,” Snyder said. “I hope she looks back on it for the rest of her life.”

It took time for the news to sink in, but Joyce wouldn’t take a single moment for granted because this was an achievement she’s been working towards since coming to Temple, Joyce said.

Joyce went on to finish in 141st place out of 250 of the best collegiate runners in the country, with a time of 20:44.9, her third-best 6k performance of the season.

After starting cross country in the seventh grade and falling in love with the sport, Joyce knew running was something she wanted to continue in college.

After visiting Temple, Joyce decided it was where she wanted to be, she said.

“I just found that there was a nice balance,’’ Joyce said. “Between the academics and the athletics here, that kind of got me interested in Temple and wanting to reach out and learn more about the program.”

During her first four years as an Owl, Joyce balanced being a full-time student-athlete and studying biomedical engineering, and she excelled at both, Snyder said.

Her parents encouraged her to focus on school because that was most important, said Chris Joyce, Michelle Joyce’s dad.

As an undergraduate runner, Michelle Joyce helped Temple win team titles at the Temple Invitational and the Rider Invitational as a freshman in 2017, running in the American Athletic Conference and Outdoor championships in 2018 and contributing to the Owls first ever Eastern College Athletic Conference championship title in 2018.

Michelle Joyce’s season was delayed last year because she used the offseason to recover from a knee injury. Though she could not compete in meets or practices, Joyce continued training on her own by going out for runs, she said.

As she trained, her parents supported her as much as possible and even accompanied her to the trails, Chris Joyce said.

“Running was actually something that I could still do,” Michelle Joyce added. “I could still go out for a run and keep a routine with that so it actually brought a decent amount of normalcy into my life.”

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering in Spring 2021, Michelle Joyce is now using her extra year of eligibility to obtain a graduate certificate in bioinformatics.

With the season finished, Michelle Joyce is taking some time off and is slowly returning to training for the upcoming indoor track season, she said.

Michelle Joyce is also applying for several Ph.D. programs to further her education after Temple but plans to continue running in some capacity, she said.

“I just hope whatever she decides to do, it all works out for her,” Jennifer Joyce said. “Hopefully the next school she gets into will have as great an atmosphere as Temple has been for her.” victoria.ayala@temple.edu @ayalavictoria_

PAGE 26

SPORTS

The Temple News

FOOTBALL

Temple’s single digit grows through adversity Amir Tyler credits his successful collegiate career to those who supported him along the way.

BY ISABELLA DiAMORE Sports Editor When Amir Tyler walks through Edberg-Olson Hall, his name is “Hollywood.”

The nickname started with Tyler’s high school football teammates in his hometown, Lakewood, New Jersey, because he was one of few players who was getting recruited by colleges, Tyler said.

The name stuck around in college, and it reflects graduate student safety Tyler’s stellar impact after six years in Temple University’s football program.

From overcoming numerous injuries to becoming a single digit — Tyler helped lead the Owls to success and through challenges, but his achievements wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the people who supported him before he came to North Broad, he said.

Heading into this season, the sixth year knew he needed to help lead a young team, especially with new transfers in the program, Tyler said.

Tyler would hang out with the players off the field and help former redshirt-junior wide receiver Jadan Blue run players-only meetings, where they spoke openly with the team about any problems players were having and what attitude they should have going forward, Tyler added.

“We look for leadership out of them and we demand it,” said former head coach Rod Carey. “You can’t be a sixthyear player and be here that long and not be a leader, you are just naturally going to get looked at that way.”

But Tyler’s ability to guide his teammates stemmed from a childhood of overcoming adversity.

At the age of five, sports was a way to escape for Tyler. Playing Pop Warner football as a running back, receiver and quarterback are his first memories of the sport, he said.

“I lived with my grandma, and my aunt and my uncle always come by to

NOEL CHACKO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Amir Tyler, a graduate student safety, lines up to play defense during an Owl’s game against the University of Houston at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 13.

take me to football,” Tyler added. “Just to get me into the game, like having me loving the sport.”

Tyler didn’t know his dad, and his mom wasn’t stable at the time to take care of Tyler’s siblings, which left him and his five brothers and two sisters to live with his grandmother in a two-bedroom apartment condo in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Between sleeping on bunk beds and the couch, Tyler and his siblings made it work, but in the sixth grade Tyler’s grandma had a heart attack and passed away. He and his siblings were then placed into the foster care system, he said.

In Tyler’s first foster home, he moved to the Pine Barrens, New Jersey. All his siblings were together in one home at the time, until Tyler and his older siblings fell into some trouble at school and were forced to split up, he said.

For the next two years, Tyler jumped around between different foster homes, which caused him to fall behind in school. After repeating the seventh grade, he was back in Lakewood and

stayed with his Pop Warner football coach Sean Barksdale and his wife Stacy, who later on adopted Tyler.

Tyler was grateful to his adopted family because they got him involved in different sports, like an AAU basketball league, track, baseball and, of course, football.

“I got to go to a lot of places I’ve never been before like Vegas, Texas, Florida, California, just from playing AAU basketball,” Tyler said. “And just doing that with that family, like we grew a great bond. I knew they had a great interest in me and my little brother staying there.”

Living with the Barksdales taught Tyler what a family structure looked like. There were rules and stability in the household, which he wasn’t used to, he said.

“Having a mom and a dad and having rules in the house, having stability in the crib, like I wasn’t used to it,” Tyler added. “I was used to going on the block and looking up to mentors that were selling drugs or making money in the streets.”

When Tyler was a freshman at Lakewood High School, he met Chapelle Russell, a former Temple linebacker and now

Jacksonville Jaguar, who also experienced a similar family situation as Tyler.

“He and his older brother stayed with my head coach,” Tyler said. “We kind of grew that bond of not having our family there.”

The two spent most of their days together working with head coach L.J. Clark, who Tyler considered a father figure, on their backpedaling, defensive stance and 40-yard dash, despite the limited resources they had at the high school, he added.

“That was like my older brother,” Tyler said. “Though we’re not blood, we’re like blood that’s as close as we could get. Seeing everything he went through and how he handled adversity and still made it, made me believe that it could happen for me.”

When Russell committed to Temple, Tyler spent the majority of his senior year visiting him at the dorm and meeting the other players on the team.

After Temple gave Tyler an offer, his commitment wasn’t a question.

While at Temple, watching former linebacker Shaun Bradley, now Philadelphia Eagle, and Russell work hard every day made Tyler want to achieve more than just showing up to practice, he said.

And the extra work paid off in the 2020 season, when he was voted a single digit, an achievement he’s wanted since committing to Temple, Tyler added.

“He always was a guy that drew respect from his teammates,” said safeties coach Tyler Yelk. “Even though he wasn’t a starter at that point, guys respected how he went about things and he’s a tough kid on and off the field.”

As for the next steps in Tyler’s career, he hopes to make his way to the NFL, but if not, he sees the potential of being a coach or graduate assistant at Temple in the future, he said.

“I want to get picked up by a team,” Tyler said. “Just to allow me to show them that I can play and I’m actually worth spending money on, worth taking a chance on.” isabella.diamore@temple.edu @belladiamore13

The Temple News

SPORTS

PAGE 27

WOMEN’S SOCCER

DiGenova is the ‘heartbeat’ of women’s soccer After five seasons, graduate student Marissa DiGenova has left an imprint on Owls’ program.

BY SAMUEL O’NEAL Women’s Soccer Beat Reporter When graduate student defender Marissa DiGenova took the field on Oct. 28 against the University of South Florida, she did not want to be reminded she was playing her final collegiate game for Temple University women’s soccer.

“I remember all my teammates were asking me how I felt, and I didn’t want to think about it,” DiGenova said. “The day of the game, I thought to myself how this was my last time in the Temple locker room and the last time putting on my cherry kit, and it was just really emotional.”

A team captain for the past two seasons, DiGenova was one of the Owls’ best players on the field and played a large role in helping younger players adjust to competing at the collegiate level, said head coach Nick Bochette.

During the 2021 season, DiGenova started in all 16 games and clocked in 1,465 minutes played, leading the team for the fourth straight season.

As the Owls’ longest tenured player, DiGenova was one of only two players left on the team this season who were part of the 2018 squad that qualified for the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

“The most enduring part of [DiGenova’s] legacy is going to be the leadership and the modeling that she did for younger players,” Bochette said. “Every single day she would be out there showing the younger players the commitment and sacrifice that it takes to be excellent at the college level.”

Junior forward Hailey Gutowski, who spent some of the most time on the field with DiGenova, adjusted to the collegiate level through DiGenova’s leadership, she said. “[DiGenova] is one of the best players that I have ever been on the field with,” Gutowksi added. “She raises the intensity every time that she is on the field and she is someone that you want on your side.”

As a defender, DiGenova did not always get the opportunity to fill up the stat sheet like offensive players, but played a key role in setting up her team-

mates with opportunities down the field, Bochette said.

“What [DiGenova] brought to the field was a consistency, an energy and a reliability that has been unmatched by anyone else on the team,” Bochette added. “She was always able to get us to keep the ball moving while also being one of the anchors of our defense.”

DiGenova joined the Owls in 2017, when the team was coming off of one of their worst seasons in program history after going 3-16 in 2016. She played a fundamental role in turning the program around by strengthening the team’s defensive line and leading the Owls back to the conference tournament just two years later.

During her freshman year, DiGenova only started in two matches for the Owls, but knew Temple was a place where she would eventually become a better player because she trusted the vision of the coaching staff, she said.

“I already had other Division I offers, but I didn’t accept any of them yet because my eyes were always on Temple,” DiGenova said. “I fell in love with it, and I knew that I wanted to come play here.”

In her sophomore year, DiGenova started in all 19 games and became a key member of an Owls’ backline that produced four shutouts during the season.

DiGenova leaves the program after playing in 51 total games and only missing one game in the last four seasons.

Next season, the Owls will struggle to fill the void DiGenova is leaving in the roster, Gutowski said.

DiGenova plans to continue her soccer career by playing professionally overseas in Europe, she said.

“I am going to miss all of my teammates most of all,” DiGenova said.

“When I first got here, one of my goals was to leave this program better than I found it, and I hope I have.”

this season,” Crockett added. “We understand that we can gamble a little bit more because we have guys that are going to help in the way that we play our defense.”

Cardoza’s ability to keep the entire team together and on the same page has helped everyone recognize their role on offense, said junior forward Alexa Williamson. “[Cardoza] holds us to a high standard and expects a lot from us,” Williamson added. “She has been hard on us this season but everyone knows it is coming from a place of love and everyone buys into what she says.”

Graduate student forward Mia Davis has been the anchor for the Owls on the offensive side of the ball so far this season.

Davis was named the preseason American Athletic Conference player of

the year this season and was one of 20 players named to the 2022 Cheryl Miller Watch List, an award given to the best small forward in the nation.

Not only is Davis leading the team in points per game, minutes played and rebounds, but she has also taken attention away from other players, giving them the opportunity to score with clean looks at the basket. “[Davis] is our leader and she is the person that anyone on the team can go to,” Cardoza said. “Everyone on the team looks up to her and she is open and willing to help anyone and as for on the basketball court, she is still getting double and triple-teamed and finds ways to produce.”

Temple has four more games until they travel to Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 2 to face the University of Central Florida and begin their AAC schedule.

In the meantime, the Owls will continue to stay together and build as a team, Cardoza said.

“This past week we really rallied behind one another,” Cardoza said.

“When things were not going well we didn’t get down on ourselves and we found a way to pull a couple games out.”

The Owls will look to keep the momentum going when they return home to face Big Five rival Saint Joseph’s University (2-6, 0-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) on Dec. 11 at noon at McGonigle Hall.

samuel.oneal@temple.edu @samueloneal43

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL During the 2020-21 season, the Owls lost the turnover battle 381358, and struggled to capitalize on opportunities and only averaged 14.4 points off turnovers per game while their opponents averaged 18.7.

The Owls are now winning the turnover battle against their opponents 128-141, and this season they have capitalized on their opponent’s mistakes by averaging 17.6 caused turnovers a game.

Freshman guard Aniya Gourdine dominates in forced turnovers, with a team-leading 14 steals through eight games played this season.

Temple has created more turnovers and momentum-shifting moments because they have amped up their aggressiveness on defense, said assistant coach Willnett Crockett.

“We have a lot of speed and size

samuel.oneal@temple.edu @samueloneal43

PAGE 28

SPORTS

The Temple News

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Owls hit their stride as conference play nears Temple women’s basketball is coming off of three big wins against Villanova University, Georgetown University and Duquesne University.

NICK DAVIS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Kyra Wood, a freshman forward, fights two defenders to get the ball during an Owls’ game against Princeton University at McGonigle Hall on Nov. 23.

BY SAMUEL O’NEAL Co-Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter

F

ollowing a 59-41 loss against Princeton University on Nov. 23 at McGonigle Hall, Temple University women’s basketball (5-3, 0-0 The American Athletic Conference) knew they were not anywhere near the level of play they wanted to be.

During the game, the Owls scored their lowest points total of the season.

They also shot just 24.2 percent from the field, their lowest percentage of the season.

After losing three of their first five games of the season, the Owls bounced back with three consecutive victories against Villanova University on Nov. 27, (3-5, 0-2 Big East Conference) Georgetown University on Nov. 30 (4-4,

1-1 Big East Conference) and Duquesne University (4-5, 0-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) on Dec. 5.

The Owls recent success is a result of moving the ball around more and utilizing different players on the team, said head coach Tonya Cardoza.

“In the past, we have had to rely on only our starters,” Cardoza added. “Recently we have had contributions from everyone and guys have been able to step up and give us positive minutes, and if someone gets in foul trouble we have the depth where guys can step up and play.”

Heading into the season, one of the main focal points was to limit turnovers on the offensive side of the ball while finding ways to create them on defense, Cardoza said.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL |

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