Vol. 97 Iss. 20

WINNER OF 9 STUDENT KEYSTONE PRESS AWARDS

THE TEMPLE NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

TAKING ON CANCER,

ON THE COURT Read more on Page 23.

VOL 97 // ISSUE 20 FEBRUARY 19, 2019 temple-news.com @thetemplenews

NEWS, PAGE 4 Council President Darrell Clarke faces two challengers for his 5th District seat.

OPINION, PAGE 9 A student describes a bonding moment she had with a woman in a courthouse bathroom.

FEATURES, PAGE 12 An adjunct instructor teaches students about the complexities of forced migration.

SPORTS, PAGE 24 An epee transferred to Temple after her former university cut its fencing program.

NEWS PAGE 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

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

Gillian McGoldrick Editor in Chief Kelly Brennan Managing Editor Julie Christie Digital Managing Editor Evan Easterling Chief Copy Editor Greta Anderson News Editor Grace Shallow Investigations Editor Alyssa Biederman Deputy Campus Editor Will Bleier Deputy City Editor Jayna Schaffer Opinion Editor Laura Smythe Features Editor Zari Tarazona Deputy Features Editor Michaela Althouse Deputy Features Editor Michael Zingrone Co-Sports Editor Sam Neumann Co-Sports Editor Claire Wolters Intersection Editor Maria Ribeiro Director of Engagement Siani Colon Asst. Director of Engagement Dylan Long Co-Photography Editor Luke Smith Co-Photography Editor Madison Seitchik Web Editor Ian Walker Visuals Editor Claire Halloran Design Editor

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

Unsigned editorial content represents the opinion of The Temple News.

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

Visit us online at temple-news.com.

Send submissions to letters@temple-news.com.

The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122

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ON THE COVER GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

CORRECTIONS 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 Gillian McGoldrick at editor@temple-news.com or 215-204-6736.

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

CAMPUS

$1.5 million reserved for first-gen students The Broad Street Finish Line scholarship will show preference to Philadelphians.

BY WILL BLEIER Deputy City Editor

Temple University established a $1.5 million scholarship fund for first-generation college students on Monday.

Philadelphia residents will receive preference for the scholarship, named the Broad Street Finish Line, which is open to both new and current undergraduate students. The scholarship will be included in financial aid packages beginning in Fall 2019.

The university identified two existing endowment funds, totaling $1.5 million, for individual awards of up to $5,000 until the fund is exhausted, said Shawn Abbott, the vice provost for admissions, financial aid and enrollment management.

Recently admitted students were automatically considered for the award in their university application processes and began receiving the additional financial aid last week, Abbott said.

“We know we have students in financial need,” Abbott said. “And we also know we have students who are at risk of not getting to the finish line at graduation...meaning they just simply don’t have the financial resources to get to that last step of graduating from Temple.”

Current first-generation students can apply for the award by appealing their Fall 2019 financial aid packages to Student Financial Services if they have specific hardships like a death in the family or a parent’s job loss preventing them from reaching graduation, Abbott added.

Nationally, 27 percent of first-generation students reported household incomes of $20,000 or less, compared

to 6 percent of students whose parents attended college, according to a 2017 Institute of Education Sciences report.

In 2017, more than 17 percent of incoming freshmen and transfer students had parents or guardians who never attended college, according to Temple’s 2017-18 fact book.

Central High School, on Olney Avenue near Ogontz, is one of the biggest contributors to Temple’s incoming freshman class from the School District of Philadelphia each year, a university spokesperson told The Temple News.

Elana Chasan, a college counselor at Central, said she advises many first-generation college students.

“Being the first in your family to go to college is an incredible milestone, but often it leaves a lot of uncertainty about the college admissions process and how to pay for college,” Chasan said.

Scholarships like the Broad Street Finish Line make a college education from Temple more realistic for many first-generation students, Chasan said.

“First-generation students come from a family background that is not as familiar with college and all of the hoops you have to jump through to get financial aid, meet deadlines or register for classes,” said Stephanie Ives, the associate vice president and dean of students.

The Dean of Students’ office will assist current first-generation students in learning more about the scholarship.

“As one of the many first-generation students from my high school, the struggle to both go to and afford college weighs heavily on our shoulders,” said Tim Bovitt, a junior biology with teaching major. “I’ve personally seen friends drop-out because they cannot afford college tuition. william.bleier@temple.edu @will_bleier

temple-news.com

NEWS

PAGE 3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

CAMPUS

Group urges university to cut ties with Wendy’s The Student/Farmworker Alliance called on Temple to pull the Diamond Dollars program from the fast food chain.

BY ALLIE KREBS For The Temple News

Temple University students joined a national campaign to boycott the alleged unfair treatment of farmworkers by national fast food chains like Wendy’s.

Temple’s Student/Farmworker Alliance joined the “Boot the Braids” campaign in December 2018, calling for the university to remove the Diamond Dollars program from the Wendy’s on Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

The fast-food giant, unlike competing retailers, does not adhere to the Fair Food Program, an agreement between food retailers and growers to pay and treat agricultural workers fairly. The program is an extension of already-existing laws for the treatment of farmwork-

@TheTempleNews

ers, according to its website.

Wendy’s recently changed its produce supply practices to provide better conditions for workers, a spokesperson said, but has not agreed to the program.

“Instead of complying with the Fair Food Program, Wendy’s came up with other alternatives...which essentially doesn’t fix the problem,” said Danielle Brodsky, a board member of Temple SFA. “It’s just a distraction.”

Food retailers like Whole Foods and Chipotle agreed to the Fair Food Program in 2008 and 2012, respectively.

The program establishes an agreement with food retailers to pay more for produce items to benefit farmworkers and to cut ties with growers who do not follow the Fair Food Code of Conduct.

The program was established in 2001 by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, tomato farmers in Immokalee, Florida.

“The Coalition of Immokalee Workers continues to spread false and mislead-

ing information about Wendy’s,” wrote Heidi Schauer, a Wendy’s spokesperson, in an email to The Temple News.

“We have not purchased commodity field-grown tomatoes from Florida for several years, which is the predominant area in which this activist organization supports,” Schauer continued.

Wendy’s recently committed to sourcing vine-ripened tomatoes from suppliers with indoor greenhouse farms, which will ensure safe and respectable working conditions and decrease chemical pesticides, Schauer wrote.

The Temple SFA is drafting a letter to President Richard Englert, urging the university to pull the Diamond Dollars program from Wendy’s until it signs onto the Fair Food Program. A university spokesperson declined to comment.

Earlier this month, a representative from the national SFA and a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers visited Main Campus and students

demonstrated, some wearing red braided wigs and holding “Boycott Wendy’s” and “Fair Food” posters. The protesters presented a letter encouraging Wendy’s employees at the location to fight for the rights of farmworkers.

“It’s such a simple way to help people just by saying, ‘I’m not going to support a company that refuses to pay their farmworkers properly and refuses to ensure safe living and working conditions,’” Brodsky said.

The national SFA chapter will tour universities in early March. Representatives will hold lectures and alliance marches at universities like Ohio State University and the University of Michigan, which have contracts with Wendy’s.

Although Temple is not currently on the SFA’s agenda, it may be in the future, said Ximena Pedroza, a national organizer for the SFA. alliekrebs@temple.edu

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 4

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

POLITICS

Council President Clarke faces two challengers Twenty-year 5th District sibility to minority groups, Armstrong representative Darrell Clarke is wrote in a campaign questionnaire for Reclaim Philadelphia, a progressive up for re-election in November.

BY HAL CONTE Political Beat Reporter City Council President Darrell Clarke has two challengers for his seat in this November’s council elections.

Clarke’s two challengers, Sheila Armstrong, a Democrat who will run against Clarke in the primary race, and Glenn Dawson Jr., Republican leader for the 37th Ward, are taking aim at Clarke’s 20-year record as the councilman for much of North Philadelphia, including Main Campus and its surrounding area, according to the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office.

Dawson and Armstrong promise to fix problems that plague the district, including homelessness and vacant properties.

The 5th District needs more learning and enrichment programs that bond the North Central Philadelphia neighborhood, said Teleaha Frye, 26, a resident of Diamond Street near 26th.

“There could be enrichment and learning programs, something to keep you off the street, keep us from fighting with each other, keep us together,” she said. “Currently, nobody is taking anything seriously.”

Renell Temple, 46, said she’s concerned about issues of safety, trash removal and social programs.

“There’s trash on the ground, there’s not enough social programs,” said Temple, who lives on Cumberland Street near 10th. “Safety is iffy. It depends on the time of day.”

SHEILA ARMSTRONG

Armstrong supports a municipal “Green New Deal” and pushing PECO to adopt renewable energy. She also supports rent controls and universal access to GED and job training and would like to audit the Philadelphia Housing Authority and city contracts for their accesNews Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

group with the goal of social justice and reforming the Democratic Party.

“As a low-income African American woman, I was born and raised in a section of Philadelphia called ‘the bottom,’” Armstrong wrote.

“Now as a single mother, I’m running for City Council to end the oppression against the low-income community and for the future of my sons,” she wrote.

Armstrong declined The Temple News’ request for comment.

GLENN DAWSON JR.

More than 97 percent of Dawson’s own ward, where he is the Republican leader, selected Democratic incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf in last year’s gubernatorial election. Democrats currently outnumber Republicans 14 to three in City Council.

“It doesn’t matter about the parties,” Dawson said. “I agree with some things Trump is doing, some things not. He’s 50-50 for me. I can work with Democrats, Republicans, whoever.”

Dawson is focusing his campaign on his personal background in helping people experiencing homelessness, which he said makes him a necessary challenger to Clarke.

“I’ve already been doing things that councilmen and ward leaders should be doing,” said Dawson, who has been a pastor at Greater Impact Worship Center on 6th Street near York for 25 years.

Dawson said Clarke failed to prepare the 5th District for the 35-day federal government shutdown in December and January. The shutdown had a negative impact on social programs in Philadelphia like public housing and food assistance, which are partially funded by the federal government, Dawson said.

“The government shut down, but there should have been enough income to help people in our cities,” Dawson said. “We need more jobs. Schools are

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS Glenn Dawson Jr., the Republican leader for the 37th Ward and a candidate for City Council, holds a Bible inside the Greater Impact Worship Center on 6th Street near York on Friday.

closing that shouldn’t be closing and you see homeless people on the street.”

Dawson suggested closed down schools be turned into shelters for people experiencing homelessness, he said, a platform point he and Armstrong share.

On her website, Armstrong wrote vacant buildings should be turned into housing for those without it.

Dawson would also like to establish fundraisers to hold neighborhood events, like the Susquehanna Community Festival, which ran for more than 20 years.

“I’m all for restoring the neighborhood,” Dawson said. “We want to be on the same page. It seems like the love went away.”

DARRELL CLARKE

During Clarke’s time in City Council, he has helped pass legislation for the city’s current Jobs Commission to retain private businesses and for an Office of Consumer Affairs, which is meant to protect against unfair business practices.

Clarke also started the 2,000 New Affordable Housing Units Initiative which develops homes for low-income rental and ownership, built on cityowned land in “blighted and gentrifying areas.” Clarke will continue to advocate

for affordable housing if he is re-elected by the 5th District, he wrote in a statement to The Temple News.

“There is no way that I’m going to allow developers who are driving the current construction boom to not put some skin in the game,” Clarke wrote.

“We need to find a way to get this industry to support the types of badly needed affordable and workforce housing that they are not interested in building.”

As for Philadelphia’s 10-year tax abatement, Clarke said it must be reformed and Armstrong wants it to end completely. Dawson said the abatement should be “tweaked.”

Clarke also supports the Philadelphia beverage tax, which has been up for debate in this year’s City Council elections, with some suggesting it is more harmful to taxpayers than helpful in funding the city’s public schools, the Philadelphia Tribune reported.

“A city with such large populations of vulnerable and preyed-upon communities has an additional responsibility to provide access to justice,” he wrote.

“While I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished, there is much more I want to get done.” hal.conte@temple.edu

temple-news.com

NEWS

PAGE 5

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

RESEARCH

Report: ICE courthouse detainment deters justice A report from the Sheller Center for Social Justice found that undocumented immigrants fear attending court dates.

BY WILL AMARI For The Temple News United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reportedly frightened away undocumented witnesses and victims at local Pennsylvania courthouses, according to a 2019 report by the Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple University.

The report, which was released in January, found multiple instances of ICE apprehending undocumented people at courthouses in 13 Pennsylvania counties, 11 of which have the highest immigrant populations in the state.

In 2017, The Philadelphia ICE office arrested more immigrants without criminal convictions than all other regional offices in the nation, according to the report. This is despite Philadelphia’s sanctuary city status, which means city officials do not share undocumented immigrant records with ICE. Jennifer Lee, a law professor and director of the Social Justice Lawyering Clinic at the Sheller Center, called these reported arrests a “systemic issue” and a severe problem for the fair administration of justice by the courts.

“It’s [ICE] arresting folks at the courthouse,” Lee said. “It’s creating intimidation and fear so that people do not want to show up at the courthouse and this is severely problematic because the courts need to run. They need people to trust the process, and it’s really interfering with the integrity of the court system.”

The most common effect of ICE detainment at area courthouses is fear among immigrants attending to legal matters, the Sheller Center report found.

Nearly 80 percent of legal service providers said their clients who are immigrants “expressed fear of going to court or chose not to pursue a case because they may be @TheTempleNews

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS A report found that the Philadelphia United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement office arrested more immigrants without criminal convictions in 2017 than any other regional office in the U.S.

arrested or detained by ICE,” according to the report.

“Consider a domestic violence victim who needs to go to court to file protection of an abuse order from their abuser,” Lee said. “But they don’t want to go to court because they’re scared about the ramifications of being arrested [by ICE].”

Several law students who work for the Sheller Center’s Social Justice Lawyering Clinic produced the report with help from Pennsylvania coalitions and law institutions. Sundrop Carter, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, and Sam Milkes, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Inc., supported the project.

Law students and report authors Patrick Gordon, Kelley Grady and Shaqueil Stephenson did not have contact with undocumented immigrants, nor did they meet with any members of ICE. Surveys were sent to advocacy groups, like the ICE Out of Courts Co-

alition, and attorneys who work directly with undocumented immigrants.

There were about 50 respondents to the Sheller Center survey — which started in August 2018 — out of 100 total individuals and organizations contacted, said Grady, a third-year law student. The most interesting responses came from social service providers, she said.

She recalled a particular response from a service group in Pittsburgh about helping an undocumented father appear in court to claim custody of his child without getting detained by ICE. “All the people in the organization, priests, his friends, basically had to swarm him so he wouldn’t get seen by ICE officers,” Grady said. “It’s very impactful, and what it shows is that [advocacy groups] know this is a problem, and they figured out what they have to do and it’s so extreme.”

While Grady understands ICE is acting under executive orders to detain suspected undocumented immigrants, she said the agency’s presence is affecting

the entire court process. The report offered suggestions based on other states’ responses to ICE detainment at courthouses, like in California, where the state attorney general said court personnel should be instructed not to cooperate with the agency.

The report made several recommendations to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to permit local policies that limit ICE enforcement activities around courthouses and prohibit court personnel from collecting immigration statuses from individuals.

“It’s important to remember that this is something the Pennsylvania court has the power to control, and it shouldn’t have to be something radical or political,” Grady said. “It should just be them protecting the integrity of the justice system.” will.amari@temple.edu @wileewillie

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 6

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

CAMPUS

Aramark, Temple refute claims of mouse in food A student alleges she found a email to The Temple News on Feb. 7. mouse in her meal at Morgan Dining Services posted a similar statement on its Instagram page that day.

Dining Hall two weeks ago.

BY GRETA ANDERSON News Editor A student claims she found a mouse in her food at Morgan Dining Hall on Feb. 5, and a city food inspector discovered mouse droppings in the dining hall’s kitchen about one week later.

Sophomore journalism major Kaylee Ortiz said she saw what looked like a tail on her plate after getting rotisserie chicken and Spanish rice from the dining hall for dinner. Before taking a bite, she pulled the piece of meat out and discovered what she alleges was a mouse.

“I got really sick to my stomach,” Ortiz said. “To think, I could’ve eaten that.”

Aramark claims the photo is an image of a chicken wing, not a mouse, a spokesperson said in a statement to The Temple News.

The city inspected Morgan Dining Hall’s kitchen on Wednesday and found mouse droppings along the perimeter of the kitchen’s hallway and underneath food equipment, according to city records. The inspection report states the kitchen needs to be cleaned in problem areas, and until it is, Morgan Dining Hall is in violation of the Philadelphia Health Code.

Ortiz’s friend posted a Snapchat photo of her food with the alleged mouse on a plate. It later went viral throughout the Temple University community. Ortiz decided not to bring the food to Temple Dining Services employees’ attention and threw away the dish, she said.

Aramark, the university’s dining services provider, and Temple University called the photo a “hoax” two days later.

“We have determined that the image posted on social media is a hoax with no connection to any of the University’s dining locations,” wrote Kasey Marsicano, a spokesperson for Aramark, in an News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

This prompted Ortiz to contact Aramark with her account of what she found.

Once Ortiz contacted Aramark with more photos and information about her meal, Aramark confirmed the Snapchat photo came from Morgan Dining Hall, Marsicano wrote. But because Ortiz did not bring the dish to Dining Services staff right away, Aramark representatives “are not able to authenticate it.”

“However, based on looking at the photo and what was on the menu last Tuesday, it appears to have been a chicken wing,” Marsicano wrote on Wednesday. Aramark’s “culinary experts” reviewed the photo, she added.

Because of its recent rodent violation, the city can order Morgan Dining Hall to temporarily close if it deems the violation a serious enough threat to public safety, according to Department of Public Health procedures. Morgan Dining Hall did not close, but because the inspector found a food safety risk factor, the city has the option to require another inspection within 30 business days, like it did in 2017.

In September 2017, Morgan Dining Hall’s kitchen had two inspections, six days apart, where inspectors found mouse feces, according to city records.

On Sept. 21, 2017, inspectors observed “physical evidence of rodent(mouse)... activity” in Morgan’s washing and storage area. On Sept. 27, 2017, the kitchen received a repeat violation for not having disinfected floor perimeters with “old mouse feces.”

Representatives from the Department of Public Health could not be immediately reached for comment.

Dining Services contracts a “reputable pest control company” to regularly inspect and treat the university’s culinary facilities, Marsicano wrote in an email to The Temple News on Monday. She

COURTESY / KAYLEE ORTIZ Sophomore journalism major Kaylee Ortiz photographed what she claims was a mouse in her Morgan Dining Hall food, found on Feb. 5.

wrote if there are violations observed during the city’s inspections, they are corrected on site.

However, the city’s inspection report from Wednesday did not note that the rodent violation was immediately corrected.

A three-year Dining Services worker at Morgan, whose name was withheld to protect their employment, said the plate in the photo looks similar to the dining hall’s plates. It’s highly unlikely, however, a mouse made its way into food, especially on the second floor of the building, the worker said.

The worker has never seen a mouse on the second level of the Morgan Dining Hall, but the downstairs food court has traps set up for rodents and often catches them, they said.

“We get inspected in here, and you

don’t even see any mice up here at all,” the worker said. “They’d only be downstairs, and they have traps down there to catch them. We don’t see nothing up here, nothing.”

The university’s pest control contractors “use various tactics to ensure we get the desired results,” Marsicano wrote about the mouse traps.

Ortiz has a meal plan, but she does not know if she’ll return to Dining Services any time soon.

“I haven’t been there since,” she said.

“That makes me question what environment my food is being prepared in.” greta.anderson@temple.edu @gretanderson

temple-news.com

OPINION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

PAGE 7

EDITORIALS

Supporting The Triangle Most of today’s conversations about the future of journalism focus on professional news outlets, layoffs and digital subscription rates. But if we’re going to talk about the future of journalism, we need to look to student journalists and ensure they gain a solid ethical foundation while they’re still in school.

On Feb. 8, The Triangle, Drexel University’s independent student newspaper, did not print for one week because it ran out of money. The Temple News’ Editorial Board is heartbroken to see The Triangle struggle, but also proud to see the outpouring of support for the student newspaper from Drexel and its alumni that got it up and running once again.

Student newspapers and professional outlets are facing the same chal-

FROM THE ARCHIVES

lenges: declining ad sales and less public trust in the media. We also have other challenges, like simultaneously putting out a paper while also attending classes and learning a lot on the job.

It’s important for universities and their communities to support an independent student press. We are here to serve as a voice and source of information for our readers. We strive to keep an eye on the power our respective universities wield over the community, and we can’t do that without support.

Whether you read The Temple News, The Triangle or any other student newspaper in your area, take a moment to see how you can support the work we do. We are working to build our futures in journalism, but we can’t do it alone.

Courthouses should be safe The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency intimidated undocumented witnesses and victims at local Pennsylvania courthouses, according to a 2019 report by the Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple University.

“The Philadelphia ICE office, which covers Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia, surpassed all 23 other regional offices in the country in making more ‘at-large’ arrests of immigrants without criminal convictions in 2017,” the report states.

It is disgusting that ICE would use courthouses, where people go to seek justice, as a place to arrest people who have no criminal convictions. We understand that a courthouse is a lawful place, and undocumented people are technically breaking a law. But this report reveals a dangerous practice because it discourages undocumented people from reporting incidents or testifying against people charged with crimes. @TheTempleNews

This is especially problematic given a recent history of abuses against people who were detained by ICE, like facing inadequate health care or sexual assault in detention centers. Whether a person is undocumented or is not as serious a threat to our society as people in power who feel free to abuse.

Seventy-seven percent of legal service providers said their clients who are immigrants “expressed fear of going to court or chose not to pursue a case because they may be arrested or detained

by ICE,” according to the Sheller Center report.

ICE’s actions are disrupting our criminal justice system and limit a person’s ability to report crimes. Courthouses should be considered sensitive locations like schools for this reason.

We can’t let the anxieties of getting arrested outweigh someone’s need for justice.

TOP: September 14, 1990: Temple University students hosted a walkout against then-President Peter Liacouras during the faculty’s 29-day strike. This strike remains the longest faculty strike in United States history and caused 3,500 students to withdraw or leave.

BOTTOM: September 28, 1990: Spectators pour into court room 653 at City Hall to watch a hearing on the Temple’s attempt to obtain an injunction against the striking teachers on Day 25 of the strike.

Last week, the second-longest faculty strike in U.S. history ended in Ohio. Wright State University’s faculty union went on strike for 20 days to protest the school’s deteriorating finances.

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 8

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

LGBTQ

The power in celebrities’ coming-out stories When celebrities come out as part of the LGBTQ community, it inspires others to be proud of who they are, too.

I

f the last two years of social justice could be described with a few buzzwords, they would probably be “spectrum,” “social construct” and “intersectionality.”

Many activists are trying to shift the conversation from simply diversity BRITTANY VALENTINE and inclusion to FEMINISM COLUMNIST challenging social norms and embracing the numerous identities one individual can have.

One of the most powerful ways to illustrate the multifaceted human experience is through stories, some of the bravest being when a person announces their gender or sexuality to a world that isn’t always waiting with open arms.

More than 30 celebrities, including singers Janelle Monáe and Brendon Urie, actresses Amandla Stenberg and Abbi Jacobson and golfer Tadd Fujikawa, publicly came out in 2018.

For many people in the LGBTQ community, it’s comforting to see themselves represented and celebrated in Hollywood more and more.

“Hayley Kiyoko, Kehlani, Troye Sivan and Janelle Monáe have been sources of strength and inspiration for me,” said Valerie Steinman, a bisexual psychology graduate student at Temple University.

Kiyoko, a biracial singer and actress, is known to fans as “lesbian Jesus” and has been representing queer femininity since

letters@temple-news.com

2015, with the release of the music video for her single “Girls Like Girls.” She even coined “#20GAYTEEN” on Twitter last year. This hashtag honors not only the music industry’s growing LGBTQ spectrum but also the number of mainstream films in 2018 with LGBTQ stars.

As insignificant as it may seem, a trending hashtag like that can make individuals of a marginalized community feel united and heard. In Gay Times Magazine, Kiyoko discussed how much she loves seeing her fans comment on her videos and how much of a positive impact she can make on them.

“Sometimes being gay can be such a dark feeling for a lot of people, so to be able to make light of it and be like, ‘I’m gayer than ever!’ and laugh about it is really healthy,” Kiyoko told Gay Times in December.

Stenberg came out as gay in June 2018 in an interview in Wonderland Magazine. Stenberg said she would have understood her own identity sooner if she saw more queer women of color being represented in media.

Monáe, who released her newest album “Dirty Computer” in April 2018, came out as pansexual in an interview with Rolling Stone and emphasized that she dedicated the album to anyone who is having a hard time dealing with their sexuality or being isolated because of it.

This sentiment offers hope to people who might feel the same feelings of loneliness Monáe expresses in her songs.

It’s empowering when celebrities dedicate their art to a community that’s usually neglected.

The experience of coming out as a part of the LGBTQ community is so significant that there is a national day — Oct. 11 — set aside to celebrate it.

While celebrities sharing their iden-

CLAIRE HALLORAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

tities and sexualities with the world is a step in the right direction, we still have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to accepting people in the LGBTQ community.

“My most common experiences of discrimination have included often being told that I am going to ‘hell’...from family members and strangers alike,” said Shaya Schaedler, a bisexual psychology graduate student.

“I experience a lot of microaggres-

sions, which can be very subtle, but much less outright discrimination here in Philadelphia,” Schaedler added.

LGBTQ people are still stigmatized and misunderstood. But when people in the spotlight are brave enough to step forward and share their stories, it’s contagious. brittany.leigh.valentine@temple.edu @recoveryspirit

temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 9

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

Content warning: This essay mentions violence against women and rape.

THE ESSAYIST

‘A man to put away’

A student tells a story about visiting a city courthouse months after she filed a sexual assault report with police.

BY GRACE SHALLOW Investigations Editor She didn’t turn once to look at me.

She only watched in the mirror, with arched brows drawn over her layered eyelashes, as I tried each bathroom stall. We were two women alone in a restroom on the 10th floor of a city courthouse. Except for the hum of the fluorescent lights, it was silent until she said: “Honey, none of them lock.”

She still wasn’t facing me, busy powdering her face. I noticed the dark purple rings under her eyes.

I sighed.

“Really? OK, thank you,” I offered up, with a smile that I knew twisted like the knots in my stomach.

It was early. My coffee hadn’t set in yet. And the courthouse — a bustling beehive of cops, court clerks, attorneys, judges, defendants and victims — was the last place I wanted to be. The courthouse, with all of its bright lights and badges, was the ultimate symbol of Philadelphia’s running-on-empty criminal justice system — one that has failed me.

“Doll, go in! I’ll hold the door for you while you squat!”

Lost in my head, I hadn’t realized she’d turned from her reflection and was now standing in front of me. Smiling and pretty, she was the Fairy Godmother of Broken Bathroom Stalls. I smiled genuinely — the first time that morning.

The duty of holding a broken bathroom door closed while you pee is an intimate one, typically reserved for best friends in a shitty bar. When it’s 8 a.m. in a courthouse, it’s a little awkward. Unless you talk.

She told me all about why she was there that morning. One day, while rid@TheTempleNews

CLAIRE HALLORAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS

ing the bus, a man was giving her the creeps. He leered at her in a way every woman is familiar with. When she got off, he did too. He followed her, punched her. Called her a bitch.

A camera, luckily, caught it on tape.

Even more luckily, a detective called her back about her case — something that often doesn’t happen for women who are victims of crimes.

I listened quietly, told her I was sorry she’d experienced that. She thanked me.

There was a sense of rehearsed tiredness in both of our voices: her, tired of hearing it; me, tired of bad things happening to people and having to say it.

Then the roles reversed. Bluntly, she said, “So who do you testify against today?”

I explained that I was actually there to report on a trial, and I could feel her deflate on the other side of the stall door.

Not only was I a total stranger, I was one who couldn’t participate in her campfire

ghost story session about past men still haunting us. Until I did.

I told her I understood how terrible the reporting process really was. How I knew the waiting rooms, with their garish-colored walls and vending machines filled with knock-off chips, felt like purgatory and hell simultaneously.

How every question a cop or detective asks you about what happened sounds like an accusation that you’re lying.

How you wake up every day after you go to the station hoping for a call about your case until it’s easier to accept that one will never come. It’s easier to accept a lot of raw pain when you experience things like we had.

In a twisted way, she was lucky in this situation. A judge would at least hear her case. But in my case, months later, the underwear I wore the night it happened was still stored somewhere in the police’s evidence locker — most like-

ly never thought of or examined again.

This negligent system had given my rapist a silent “Get Out of Jail Free” card.

In that bathroom, we gal-palled about all the things that needed to be fixed in the criminal justice system. They couldn’t even give us survivors bathroom stall doors that locked. As we’re used to, we women fixed the problem our damn selves. Fixed the problem for each other.

I flushed the toilet, pushed the door open. We made eye contact for a fleeting second before she turned back to the mirror. I washed my hands and wished her good luck.

“Yeah, doll,” she said, too busy padding her face with makeup again to look my way.

After all, she had a man to see. And put away. grace.shallow@temple.edu @Grace_Shallow

letters@temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 10

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

A first love: Watching it grow and fade

There was always an excuse, like, took over.

A student describes how she leased myself into pure bliss. My confusion and fright melted away with each “I’m going to marry you, but I think we Poet Robert Frost once posed the first fell in love when she was 18, touch.

I was putty; impressionable, easily need to see other people.”

This was his question of how the world might one and how it ended.

BY DARCI GOLD For The Temple News Romantic comedies aren’t real.

I’ve watched marriages deteriorate at a young age. I’ve witnessed love fade and felt the true pain of a dying relationship. I hated the destruction it caused.

So, I always told myself I wouldn’t be a victim of Cupid’s lethal arrow. I would never sing love songs or hand my heart over to a stranger. I saw what happened to others, and I didn’t want that for myself.

Of course, I’ve had crushes. I fixated over cute boys, kissed them, even entertained the possibility of love. I drowned myself in sonnets, sappy movies — even my own poetry was romantic in tone.

I loved love in theory, but always from afar. I never wanted a relationship. I played the game, but I played it too well.

I kept myself guarded, my heart safe.

I was successful for more than 18 years. But then I fell in love.

It was everything I was afraid of. It was the most comfortable I’ve ever been — but also the most unsure. I was confronted by a lifetime of suppressing love.

All at once, there was a stranger choosing to love me. I forgot where I was and who I was.

I recall the smallest things; laying in the grass, swapping secrets and pretending like we were above everything and everyone. It felt that way, and no one could convince me otherwise.

There was nothing more important to me than protecting this little life I had made with this man. It was the most glorious pain I had ever felt. Whole weekends spent in bed weren’t enough. Hours on the phone felt like seconds. Kissing was my source of energy.

It was cosmic.

I forgot my childhood fears and reletters@temple-news.com

manipulated. So naive.

I thought I had been foolish for banishing love all my life. I had miraculously found the exception to the rule on the first try. How amazing! We were of the chosen few to find their soulmates.

That was what we thought, what we said: soulmates. It was insane to say, which also made it feel so real. How could I, a logical and skeptical person, make such a claim if it weren’t valid? It must be true.

I accepted the weight of the heartache that often accompanies young love.

I made excuses.

“No, he didn’t mean that. He was just angry.”

“They told him to say that. It’s not in his control.”

“He loves me. Of course, he loves me.”

My first relationship felt like I was nursing an animal back to health knowing it would bite me when it regained strength. I couldn’t ignore the purity in its eyes even though there was venom in its teeth. I just couldn’t let it die.

But something gut-wrenchingly beautiful isn’t so without a little gore.

And gore there was — plenty of it — chaos mistaken for passion. There were whispered lies, caresses that left unseen bruises, too many tears and broken promises.

It was pathetic devotion, void of reason.

But I slowly began to remember why I feared the feeling.

The year was speckled with moments of clarity, immediately clouded by a hug or a rose — moments of question were quickly answered by an afternoon in the park, where we’d keep saying, “I’m sorry, I love you.”

“Come back.”

“I need you, but I can’t do this.”

reason for neglecting me.

I explain our expiration like this: One night, the sun set as usual. We got into bed, listened to music and fell asleep, blissful as ever.

But the night never ended. The window was stuck open, the heat stopped working and we couldn’t keep from shivering. We bundled up underneath a mountain of blankets, drank cups of decaf coffee and held each other like our lives depended on it.

But, eventually, our body heat failed us. We just lie in bed until hypothermia

day end: Fire or ice — which is more bearable.

I’ve felt the fire before — licked by the passionate flames. The fire, though it burned, always lit my way. The ice, however, was all-consuming.

My world has ended in both fire and ice. There is birth from fire though; the phoenix rises from the flames, forests still grow after a volcano erupts. But ice kills all — and it froze me. darci.gold@temple.edu

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temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

‘Swipe right’ for a mismatch

A student describes her jokes like he did behind the screen.

Internet dating culture is a universe experience with online dating of its own. Whoever you are, there is an and doubts its effectiveness.

BY PAVLINA CERNA International Columnist The days leading up to Valentine’s Day are filled with big heart-shaped balloons, cheesy quotes and red-frosted cupcakes. They are a reminder for those of us not in a relationship about just how single we are.

That’s probably why it’s a popular time for dating apps, and platforms like Tinder and Bumble have increased user activity, the Evening Standard reported.

Facebook ads for these apps promise to help me find the love of my life, so I tried to stay open-minded and give them a shot.

But after trying Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and Bumble, I personally felt demotivated, frustrated and tired.

It isn’t easy to work through the whole sifting-people-out process up to the point of going on dates, but my experience so far has proven all the negative ideas surrounding online dating to be right.

Once, I met a guy with whom I had no more in common than the table between us, even though the app promised an 80 percent match.

Then, I met a guy who was supposed to be 5 feet 9 tall, but my 5-foot-4-inch height somehow towered over him when I stood up.

I met someone whose photos were probably from the previous decade unless he aged during the commute to our meeting spot.

I met another guy who was really funny while we chatted online, but in person, he had difficulty even holding eye contact with me — let alone making

@TheTempleNews

app or site for you; Christian Mingle, GlutenFreeSingles, Jdate for Jewish singles, Farmers Dating Site, Elite Singles or AsianDating for example.

In theory, online dating should work in my favor, but it doesn’t. Let me tell you why.

An online profile usually tells you basic info, like name, age and height. It might tell you what the person is like, what they do in their free time and what they look for in a significant other — or at least things they’re comfortable sharing publicly.

But I care more about the chemistry I’ll have with someone, how mom-dependent someone is and whether they have anger issues or emotional baggage.

These apps don’t show me the person behind the screen.

Popular apps like Tinder use a swiping mechanism, making my decisions superficial. Users swipe either left or right on someone’s profile, depending on whether they find them attractive.

This sounds fun, but in reality, I’m looking for intelligence, humor and a beautiful smile. On these apps, I’m offered smiles, but they typically come with plagiarized pick-up lines, shirtless photos and vague personality descriptions.

These apps usually work according to algorithms. An app can figure that out and adjust suggestions accordingly, the Chicago Tribune reported. But algorithms do not help predict romantic desire between two individuals any better than a groundhog’s shadow can predict the length of this year’s winter.

And pictures can be misleading — sometimes old — and a bio can be copied from the internet. At least, this is what

EMMA STEVENS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

I’ve found through my own online dating journey.

Do these websites really even want you to find the right person? Because if everyone did and lived happily ever after, they would go out of business.

Online dating has ruined meeting people by chance and in person. It’s anti-social. People would rather swipe than speak to human beings who are around

them.

Whether you prefer online dating or count on fate to put the right person in your path at the right time, I wish you good luck.

I will remain old fashioned in this technology-driven culture and go offline for now. pavlina.cerna@temple.edu

letters@temple-news.com

FEATURES

PAGE 12

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

FACULTY

Instructor’s career informs course on refugees

HEATHER WENTZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS Political Science instructor Robert Berry listens to a student during a discussion about refugees in the Tuttleman Learning Center on Feb. 11.

Robert Berry splits his time to teach the honors special topics course nent residents.

He relocated to Washington, D.C., between Main Campus and Forced Migration Around the World.

The course explores people’s involin 2017 and now works with the Refuthe Department of Homeland untary displacement across international gee, Asylum and International OperaSecurity.

BY MADISON KARAS Campus Beat Reporter

R

obert Berry wants to be involved in everything. It’s one of his greatest character flaws, he said.

By the time he graduated from Temple University in 2008, he had several credentials: degrees in religion and Asian studies, minors in political science and Japanese and a certificate in Arabic.

To apply these skills internationally, Berry started working as an adjudication officer in the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.

In this role, he makes decisions on asylum cases where immigrants apply for asylum while in the United States.

This semester, he returned to Main Campus as a political science instructor features@temple-news.com

borders or within a country by having students analyze its causes, like the failure of a government, human rights violations or environmental disasters. Berry also has students examine international human rights law.

The course is offered at a time when President Donald Trump is committed to building a wall along the United States-Mexico border, along with other policies limiting refugees and asylum seekers from entering the U.S. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are 68.5 million people globally who have been forcibly displaced from home, including 25.4 million refugees — most younger than 18.

Berry has also traveled abroad to decide refugee resettlement cases, in which refugees are transferred from a country where they feel unsafe to a new country that has agreed to admit them as perma-

tions’ training branch to guide officers in becoming adjudications officers.

“I love the ability to be part of a global humanitarian effort,” Berry said.

“We’re able to step in and restore somebody’s human rights and say, ‘We’re not going to let this happen to you again.’”

Berry currently splits his time between teaching and working at the Department of Homeland Security. The two roles involve different styles of teaching, he said. In Washington, D.C., he trains officers, whereas in class he unpacks philosophies behind mass violence, humans rights violations and migrations.

“It’s really great learning from a professor who actually does what we’re talking about,” said Sophia Tran, a freshman political science and global studies major in Berry’s course.

Tran, who is interested in pursuing a humanitarian aid or foreign services ca-

reer, said she appreciates how in-depth the course discusses forced migration.

“It was very, very eye-opening because it’s a real topic and it’s happening right now,” she added.

The course also examines current issues, like the Syrian refugee crisis, which Berry had worked with. In 2016, he was based in Jordan as a refugee officer to help resettle more than 10,000 Syrians to the United States.

“There are always going to be individuals that you interact with, that come into your office, that you’ll never forget,” Berry said. “I’ve had the pleasure of having them tell me their story and then really be empowered by the United States under the law to assist those individuals [who] meet the definition of a refugee.”

Refugees are people outside of their home countries who can’t return because of persecution or fear of persecution, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The persecution can be based on race, religion, nationality or other characteristics.

Ruth Ost, the senior director of the Honors Program, said she is excited to have students in Berry’s class be exposed to his career path and learn from a subject expert who has an “insatiable love of learning.”

“Students coming out of [his] class will find that their lives are even more interesting now because they’ve taken that class,” Ost said. “He can inspire them to just go out and be bold with their lives, too, like he has been with his.”

Berry said he encourages his students to pursue their passions.

“For those individuals who want to do everything, throw yourself at everything, and I promise you something will stick and the path will become clear,” Berry said. “...Give yourself to those different things, and if you follow the threads, it does lead somewhere.” madison.karas@temple.edu @madraekaras

temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 13

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

TRENDS

Students hopeful ‘Black Panther’ wins an Oscar The movie is nominated for Best Picture at Sunday’s 91st Academy Awards.

BY BIBIANA CORREA Trend Beat Reporter The “Black Panther” era is far from over.

The film is back in the spotlight thanks to an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and will have the chance to snag the honor at the 91st Oscars on Sunday.

During the first week of February, Disney offered free screenings of the film nationwide in select AMC Theatres locations to celebrate Black History Month and the release of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s graphic novel “Black Panther Book 6: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda Part 1” on Feb. 5.

The “Black Panther” movie, based off the Marvel comic book series, tells the story of T’Challa becoming king of fictional Wakanda after his father’s death. Coates, an author and National Book Award winner, relaunched the Black Panther comic in 2016, and the debut issue ranked as the best-selling comics of the year. The popular film ranked as the second-highest grossing film of 2018, bringing in more than $1.3 billion.

The film featured clothing from Walé Oyéjidé, a 2010 Beasley School of Law alumnus who owns an African-inspired clothing line.

Many Temple University students value “Black Panther” for shaking up race representation on-and-off camera in Hollywood. Oscars viewers have previously slammed the awards show for its lack of diversity, and Twitter exploded with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite in response to the 2016 show.

“Black Panther” could win the highest award for movies on Sunday, and is the first movie based on a comic book series to be nominated.

“Black Panther” fans like junior film and media arts major Hann McEwen ap@TheTempleNews

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS The “Black Panther” played at select AMC theaters during the first week of Black History Month. The film is nominated for Best Picture at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday.

preciate the film for the cast and crew’s diversity.

“When we talk about the representation of people of color, usually we only see it through actors,” McEwen said.

“While that’s amazing with Black people seeing themselves on screen, it’s also important to note that we have something to do behind the scenes, too.”

The movie was especially powerful because it avoided stereotypes, she added.

“It didn’t use any Black film troupes,” McEwen said. “The fact that we can have a movie that doesn’t default to stereotypes or problematic tropes or things that ultimately hurt the Black community is great.”

To combat stereotypes of Black people in film, “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler told Time Magazine in 2018 that he wanted to highlight identity as it related to being of African descent.

So, he took a trip to Kenya and South Africa to capture the idea.

Hollywood does not equally represent each group of people, said Aaron X. Smith, an Africology and African Amer-

ican Studies professor. By seeing it on screen, he said it inspires people of all groups to feel empowered.

“Everybody deserves a hero,” Smith said. “You should be able to look at someone and be like, ‘I can be great. I can still reach my potential no matter what.’”

Smith added that Black people have not just been left out of stories — they’ve been caricatured and misrepresented in media.

“When ‘Black Panther’ comes out, not only are you there, you’re there in mass and you’re there on equal footing with other similar productions in terms of budget,” Smith said. “It’s putting Africa in a positive light.”

Senior mathematics and technology major Sarah Hafer said in addition to diversity, “Black Panther” shows viewers new perspectives on gender inclusivity.

“It was a really good example showing Black culture in a very positive light, and also showing not just strong Black male characters but strong Black female characters, which I think is something important which we don’t see too often,” Hafer added.

“Black Panther” has not only captured the importance of representation, but also good storytelling. Digital designer and illustrator JT Waldman commended the film’s ability to take the typical origin story and make it unique.

“It took the genre of superhero films and made it interesting because it was telling it from a different angle [and] that for me is a difficult formula to crack,” said Waldman, who curated the College of Liberal Arts’s “Graphic Thinking” Conference in Fall 2017 about how comics and graphic illustrations can be used to investigate social questions. “It stands on the shoulders of other people and it stands on its own.”

McEwen is hopeful the film will win at Sunday’s Academy Awards, but said she respects the movie regardless of the outcome.

“No matter what happens, it’s truly owned its place as being a great piece of cinema, and that’s something I’ll always be happy about, something I’ll always be proud of,” McEwen said. bibiana.correa@temple.edu

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 14

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

POLITICS

Alumna runs for City Council in West Philly area Trevor Maloney, Gauthier’s cam- she said.

Jamie Gauthier is running as district for 15 years.

Gauthier’s political career began by paign manager, said that 13 weeks beGauthier majored in accounting a Democrat in Philadelphia’s 3rd District against six-term working with nonprofits around the city fore the primary election, Gauthier is because she enjoyed math and prob— most recently as the Fairmount Park already weeks ahead of most first-time lem-solving, she said. She worked at sciincumbent Jannie Blackwell.

BY EMMA PADNER City Life Beat Reporter From a young age, Jamie Gauthier watched her father give back to the community and advocate for Philadelphia’s public education system.

His activism inspired Gauthier, a 2000 accounting alumna, to pursue a career in public service and politics.

She is now running as a Democrat for City Council in the 3rd District, which includes University City, Mantua and Kingsessing.

“I grew up with that ingrained in me and so I feel fortunate to have that opportunity to direct [my degree] toward a career that’s about more than myself,” said Gauthier, who has lived in West Philadelphia her whole life.

Gauthier is running against incumbent Jannie Blackwell, who has been the district’s councilwoman for six four-year terms. Blackwell succeeded her husband, Lucien Blackwell, who represented the

VOICES

How would you describe your experience with university dining?

Conservancy’s executive director from 2017-19. Her nonprofit work enabled her to support issues like affordable housing, locally-owned businesses and supporting parks, she said.

“Our City Council members have one of the highest opportunities to positively impact people and neighborhoods, and I feel that that’s where I can make the greatest contribution to helping people,” she said.

Gentrification is a widespread fear in her district, Gauthier said. She wants to confront the issue and preserve West Philadelphia’s diversity.

“I want to work with the residents of the 3rd District to fight against [gentrification],” she said. “One of the wonderful things about our community is that it’s so diverse and I think that it should stay like that.”

She added Philadelphia is the poorest major city in the United States. She sees poverty as an issue in West Philadelphia and hopes to promote the “economic engine” of the 3rd District.

candidates. Earlier this month, Gauthier received an early endorsement from political action committee 5th Square.

“What [Gauthier] represents is change,” Maloney said. “It’s an incredible legacy that the Blackwells have in this community and...it’s something [Gauthier] certainly respects.”

“At the same time, we can recognize that...it’s time for someone who can offer a new vision for this district, and [Gauthier] represents the future of this district,” he added.

One of the first challenges for a first-time candidate is gaining support from the political party, said Patricia Amberg-Blyskal, a Temple University political science professor. In the end, the voters in the 3rd District will have to decide which is best for their community — a new face and an opportunity for change in the City Council, or a familiar longtime candidate, she added.

“You need the support of the political party…’Is the party open to change?

Is the party open to another candidate?’”

emma.padner@temple.edu @emmapadner

SHERWOOD JONES Junior advertising major

KATIE LAFFERTY Junior management information systems major

Temple does a pretty good job of adding variety and making things available. I’m just a picky eater, personally, so some of the choices I have to meld to my own specificity.

The past two years I’ve downgraded to a lower [meal plan]. I think it’s 50 a semester, and even then I feel like I’m not using all 50 swipes. I’m swiping everyone in just to use my swipes.

GARRETT DAILEY Sophomore civil engineering major

JADA WILLIAMS Freshman global studies and psychology major

It gets old after a while. At first it’s not bad, but you get to the point where you can’t eat it every day.

features@temple-news.com

ence and engineering company DuPont after graduating, but soon realized she wanted her career to better reflect her passion for helping Philadelphians.

So, she enrolled in the city planning master’s program at the University of Pennsylvania.

“It pulled together all of these things that were interests for me, and I didn’t even know I could do that as a career,” Gauthier said. “From there I graduated with a degree in city planning and that opened up this whole world to me of community and economic development.”

Gauthier is hoping to be a fresh face on City Council and is excited to bring new ideas to the community she loves.

“It’s where I live, it’s where I was born,” Gauthier said. “It’s one of the most vibrant places in the city. I love my neighbors, and I would be honored to represent them as their councilperson.”

It’s not bad. I feel like it’s better for people that have a bigger variety of food, but I grew up not eating beef, pork and red meat in general so already my selection was kind of small. temple-news.com

FEATURES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

LIVE

PAGE 15

IN PHILLY

Historic Uptown Theater celebrates 90th anniversary

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS

The Philadelphia Uptown Theater on Broad Street near Dauphin celebrated its 90th anniversary by lighting its original marquee on Saturday. The outdoor event included a wine basket raffle and a ceremony at the Black United Fund Conference Center across the street.

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta attended, along with several artists and employees who were involved with the theater during its heyday in the 1950s.

“This is a great step toward what’s next,” said Yumy Odum, a 15-year board member of Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation. “This one hopefully is the actual beginning of the completion of the Uptown. …This is Philadelphia’s Apollo.”

Betty Leacraft, who lives on Broad Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, said she remembers hanging out at Uptown in the 1950s to watch famous artists like Smokey Robinson and James Brown.

“It was a great time to be a kid and a great place to watch live music,” Leacraft added.

Local songwriter and producer James Solomon came to pay respect to the theater’s history and expressed optimism for its future.

“The Uptown highlighted a lot of R&B as well as economic development for the community,” Solomon said. “This organization has been around for a minute, and they’re going to keep on going until they get Uptown back up.” - Will Amari @TheTempleNews

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 16

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

ALUMNI

Police inspector balances school, raising twins For years, Jeffrey Chapman juggled a full-time job, pursuing a master’s and fathering his two sons.

BY CLAIRE BRENNAN For The Temple News Every day, after working a 9-to-5 job and attending night class, Jeffrey Chapman came home to cook, get his sons ready for bed and read bedtime stories.

Then, he’d start his homework at 11 p.m.

This was Chapman’s routine for years while he was enrolled at Temple University, balancing his duties as a Temple Police captain and a new father to twin boys.

“As I got closer to finishing up, every morning the boys would ask, ‘Daddy, are you home late tonight or early?’” Chapman said.

Chapman walked for his 2018 master’s in sport business in January, marking his second Temple degree. He earned a criminal justice degree in Spring 2014.

While earning his new degree, Chapman, 58, was promoted to police inspector last November. His new position took him from patrolling Main Campus into an office environment in the Campus Safety Services building on Montgomery Avenue near 11th Street.

“I look at policies and general orders and just try to make sure that everything is tight,” said Jeffrey Chapman, who has worked at Temple for 32 years. “It’s a slow transition, it’s an adjustment. I was more out and about in my other role.”

While he has made a career out of police work, Jeffrey Chapman said pursuing a sports-related degree made sense to him because he has played sports like baseball and football his whole life.

“Criminal justice was mostly research,” he said. “This field was some-

features@temple-news.com

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Jeffrey Chapman was promoted from Temple Police captain to inspector in November 2018, just before completing his master’s in sports business.

thing where it had real-life applications.”

The Philadelphia native said he learned to take change and adversity in stride with the support of his wife, JoAnn Chapman, a 1996 rhetoric and communication alumna.

“You need to keep your job to provide for your family, but there’s times where there’s challenges and conflicts and you have to make a decision on what’s the most important,” Jeffrey Chapman added. “Fortunately, my wife was understanding.”

Sleep deprivation during the first couple of months after their twins’ December 2013 birth put a strain on the family’s busy schedules, JoAnn Chapman said, but the couple made it work. She said it was a great time for Jeffrey Chapman to return to school in 2015.

“We found the time and adjusted and coordinated our schedules so that he had the opportunity to finish what he needed to do and make sure that the kids had enough valuable time with both of us,” JoAnn Chapman said.

Although their children were older, it came with challenges. One of the twins got sick and was hospitalized for several days. Jeffrey Chapman missed classes to stay home with his other son while his wife stayed at the hospital.

Michael Jackson, a sport and recreation management professor, said Jeffrey Chapman was more involved with Temple and his studies than the average student.

“Two or three times we attended conferences, he actually set up an open forum where he brought police people in

and other folks from other Philadelphia schools to talk about how they provide security and safety for the attendees,” Jackson said.

In addition to enjoying more free time with his family, Jeffrey Chapman is busy contemplating how he wants to combine his two degrees in his next career move.

“I hope I’ll be able to use my background and my experience and I think some doors will open, Chapman said.

“I don’t have anything that specific that I think it will translate to, but as time passes, I’m going to buckle down, reach out to my contacts and see what’s out there.” claire.brennan@temple.edu

temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 17

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

HIP-HOP WORD SEARCH KRS-ONE RAKIM BEASTIE BOYS TUPAC SHAKUR WU-TANG CLAN OUTKAST MISSY ELLIOTT

LIL WAYNE KANYE WEST NICKI MINAJ ODD FUTURE CHANCE THE RAPPER TRAVIS SCOTT

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HISTORY OF HIP-HOP CROSSWORD DOWN:

Grammy Awards

1. Hip-hop trio set to release “Culture III” in 2019

6. Style of hip-hop originated in Atlanta

2. West Coast record label that popularized gangsta rap

7. Cross-genre single from RunDMC and Aerosmith

4. Sugarhill Gang song credited for introducing hip-hop to a wide audience

8. Public Enemy song featured in Spike Lee’s film “Do the Right Thing”

9. First female rapper with two No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100

10. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music

ACROSS: 3. Founder of Roc Nation and husband of Beyoncé 5. Best Rap Song at the 2019

11. Her debut became the first hip-hop album to win Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards

J G

Y

I

A O

1

P

I I

R

I

Z B

E

E I

2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11

12. 1993 album from “A Tribe Called Quest” 12

Answers from Tuesday, February 12: 1.Republican, 2. Ford’s Theatre, 3. Gettysburg Address, 4. Thanksgiving, 5. Illinois, 6. Telegraph, 7. Emancipation Proclamation, 8. Charles Sumner, 9. Honest Abe, 10.

Appomattox, 11. Senate, 12. Greenbacks.

@TheTempleNews

features@temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 18

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

BLACK HISTORY

Greek multicultural orgs discuss life on campus Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Members of historically Black Inc. is a Multicultural Greek Council fraand multicultural organizations ternity that, like Omega Psi Phi, is small outline rush processes.

BY THOMAS NEMEC & EMMA GOLDHABER For The Temple News

W

hen the historically Black fraternity Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. was founded at Howard University in 1911, it had only three students. Today, the number of active members in Temple University’s chapter remains nearly the same.

“It is members versus men,” said Christopher Zeigler, the vice president of Temple’s Omega Psi Phi Inc. chapter.

The fraternity derives its value from the quality, not the quantity, of its members, he added.

There are 28 fraternities and sororities at Temple. These are grouped under “umbrella councils” like the Interfraternity Council, the National Panhellenic Conference, Multicultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council governs Omega Psi Phi and other historically Black Greek-letter organizations known as the Divine Nine. These national organizations, which were created when racial segregation policies were still in effect, remain today as an outlet for Black students to serve and support their communities and one another while pursuing their degrees.

Temple has seven fraternities in the Interfraternity Council and six sororities in the National Panhellenic Conference.

These two majority-white councils total more than 1,470 members, according to Temple’s Spring 2018 Community Report. The others are much smaller: The National Pan-Hellenic Council has 54 members, and the Multicultural Greek Council has 132.

Temple currently has six of the Divine Nine, consisting of four fraternities and two sororities, on campus. intersection@temple-news.com

in number. It has five members, according to Temple’s Spring 2018 Community Report.

These small numbers can make for closer relationships between members, said Franky Acosta, the president of Lamda Theta Phi’s Temple chapter.

Acosta stays in contact with fraternity alumni who graduated and reaches out to them for professional advice, he added.

“We try to find people who fit our culture and hold the same values as us,” Acosta said. “We really get to build a support system professionally, socially and emotionally.”

Rush processes differ between the Multicultural Greek Council, the Divine Nine, the National Panhellenic Conference and Interfraternity Council.

Some Divine Nine organizations, including Omega Psi Phi, do not hold annual rush events on campus, Zeigler said. Instead, current members may extend invitations to friends or classmates.

“I met a member in my class...and now we are brothers for life,” Zeigler said.

Ashley Johnson, a junior public health major and member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. — which is part of the Divine Nine — learned about rush from her freshman year resident assistant, who was going through the process at the time.

Johnson rushed in Fall 2017 and likened the process to interviewing for a job — a very important job. Potential new members bring their unofficial transcripts to informal rush and then submit their official transcripts, grades, a letter describing why they want to join and a recommendation letter written by a current member for formal rush.

After that, an interview is conducted between the potential new member and someone in a leadership position.

New members will receive a bid and take

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS Franky Acosta, a junior mechanical engineering major and chapter president of the Lambda Theta Phi Latin fraternity, gestures his fraternity’s symbol at the Bell Tower on Nov. 12, 2018.

a final test to measure their knowledge of the specific sorority and the history of the Divine Nine. After dues are paid, they are accepted into the sorority.

“Out of all the orgs, to me, [Sigma Gamma Rho] was the one that was most friendliest, the ones most active in the community,” Johnson said. “It is not one that is extremely popular, but it stands for a lot.”

“A lot of our information isn’t as publicized,” said Treshanna Stidman, a senior public health major and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. “It’s harder to find out what those requisites might be or whether you qualify.”

Rush processes at Interfraternity Council organizations, like Kappa Delta Rho, usually consist of a week of rush events at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.

KDR, which gained 21 new members this spring — three times the Spring 2018 membership of Omega Psi Phi — hosts rush events in the spring and fall, said Alec DeLaurentis, the vice president of KDR. Temple’s chapter of KDR currently has 74 members.

“We don’t have a certain number we try to hit,” DeLaurentis said. “We just try to pick genuine guys who are the best fit for our organization.”

Omega Psi Phi’s four founding principles are “manhood,” “scholarship,” “perseverance” and “uplift,” Zeigler said.

“The current principle I like to exemplify is perseverance,” Zeigler added.

“My girlfriend passed away last year. It was a rough time for me, but thankfully my brothers were there for me and after that I knew they were brothers to me.”

Delta Sigma Theta’s values for its programs are physical and mental health, political awareness and involvement, international awareness and involvement, educational involvement and economic development, Stidman said.

“Everything we do as an organization on a grand scale revolves around those things,” Stidman added. “All of our programs are going to be based on those five.”

More support from Temple could help these organizations grow in number, Stidman added.

“Organizations of color could get more allocations and resources that other councils already get,” Stidman said. “More knowledge should be spread about our council.” intersection@temple-news.com @TheTempleNews

temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 19

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

BLACK HISTORY

Events: What to watch for Black History Month There’s still time to check out these movie screenings and events for Black History Month.

BY JEDIAEL PETERSON For The Temple News On campus, clubs and organizations are hosting events and documentary screenings to honor Black History Month. As February comes to an end, here are the yet-to-happen events that students and faculty can attend.

unarmed Black folk, these documentaries show that there’s a deeper issue.”

3. “Disparities in Black Health,” Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Howard Gittis Student Center Room 217B

The National Council of Negro Women in collaboration with Women in Medicine will facilitate a discussion about health in the African American Community.

4. Black Excellence Gala, Feb. 23 at 7-10 pm in Center for Archi1.Who The #?@% Is Chuck tecture and design (1218 Arch Berry?, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. in Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107) Howard Gittis Student Center The Black Law Students Association Room 217A Pre-Law Division and National AssociThe Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership will host a discussion about African American musicians and the “erasure” of many throughout American history.

2. “Bastards of the Party” movie screening, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. in Tuttleman Learning Center

The final film in the Committee for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Public Health’s Black History Month film series will be shown on Wednesday.

“Bastards of the Party” is directed by former Bloods gang-member, Cle Sloan and explores the creation of the Bloods and Crips in Los Angeles while denouncing gang violence and presenting meaningful solutions to these problems.

The documentaries “13th,” and “Very Young Girls,” screened earlier this month.

“We’re showing these documentaries to shine a light on what shapes the experience of Black children that can’t defend themselves,” said Sharon Washington, a public health professor, and coordinator of the screenings. “From the sexual trafficking of young Black girls to the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding @TheTempleNews

ation of Black Accountants will host the third annual Black Excellence Gala on Saturday to celebrate the accomplishments of Black students on campus.

The gala highlights Black excellence in the Temple community and throughout history.

Patricia Adekunle, a senior political science and criminal justice major and BLSA co-Special events coordinator, said this gala is an essential part of Black History Month for Black students at Temple University.

“It’s about showcasing and recognizing those who have done something for both Philadelphia and the Temple communities, especially in these trying times where Black people as a minority feel silenced,” Adekunle said.

Lauren Smith, President of the Black Student Union and senior geography and urban studies and Africology and African American Studies major, stressed the importance of publicizing the accomplishments of Black people. Smith will host the gala.

“It’s important to get more names and more achievements out there because we don’t see that in our regular textbooks,” Smith said.

THE TEMPLE NEWS: WINNER OF 9 STUDENT KEYSTONE PRESS AWARDS First Place in

Column Cartoon/Graphic Illustration Second Place in

Editorial Column Layout and Design Cartoon/Graphic Illustration Honorable Mentions in

Ongoing News Coverage Layout and Design Cartoon/Graphic Illustration

jediael.peterson@temple.edu

intersection@temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 20

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

Finding the gray areas of race in my social life A Black student shares his experience in a white fraternity, what led him to join one and why there is a stigma involved.

BY MIKYHIAL CLARKE For The Temple News I grew up never really fitting in.

I was too Black for the white kids and too white for the Black kids. Ostracized

by both groups, I window-shopped between friend groups to find acceptance.

In my grade school in Wilmington, Delaware, other Black students ostracized me for watching anime, reading books, speaking proper English and not listening to rap music. It hurt to see people with my skin tone make fun of me for having fun, but I used that hurt to fuel my interests. I grew deeper in my hobbies, expanding my knowledge and

LUKE SMITH / THE TEMPLE NEWS Mikyhial Clarke joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Albright College before transferring to Temple in Fall 2018.

intersection@temple-news.com

beginning to accept myself.

White students talked to me as if I was beneath them and could never be equal to them. Their subtle upper hand instilled fear in my heart — leaving me adrift from both peer groups and damaging my young Black mind.

When I enrolled at Albright College in 2016, I was ostracized yet again. This time, it was for joining a majority-white fraternity. I joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon during my sophomore year before transferring to Temple University in Fall 2018.

To this day, my decision to rush SAE baffles me. I have peers and family members who in Black fraternities and sororities. My uncle is part of Omega Psi Phi, and I have cousins in Delta Sigma Theta. Additionally, a chapter of SAE at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was suspended in 2016 for ostracizing a member who urged others in the chapter to stop their repeated use of racist, homophobic, and anti-semitic slurs.

Knowing this history of the SAE, along with my upbringing in Black religion and spirituality, the choice seemed uncharacteristic of me.

However, my rush experience was untraditional. Albright’s chapter of SAE was diverse, fairly moderate to left-leaning politically and had members of multiple sexualities. Because Albright is very small, I knew the majority of the small chapter before I decided to rush. This made me feel that I’d be more easily accepted.

Before making any decisions about Greek life, I asked myself questions that challenged my overt Blackness and underlying whiteness. I replayed these three questions over again in my head: 1. Will this fraternity accept me and my complexion?

2. Can I see a brotherly bond with the members of the fraternity?

3. Will my joining of SAE challenge my status within the Black community?

During my rush experience, I kept

these questions in a note log on my phone and reviewed them before and after events.

At my first rush event — a pizza meet and greet in Albright’s recreation room — I went with a bias. I told myself I wouldn’t fit in because I was Black.

To my surprise, they welcomed me.

I was shocked, to say the least, and saw potential in the members as lifelong friends. I didn’t recognize any prejudgment of my Blackness, but more so a raw sense of friendship.

I began hanging out with brothers outside of rush events to see if our friendships could grow. I was reminded that our friendship is built off the bond of men — rather than society’s definition of men — and I grew to appreciate this.

I am still very much aware of my race and the oppression I face because of it. I have a fight-or-flight instinct in the presence of police officers and feel uneasy in spaces where there are only whites. But, SAE gave me a serious outlet to discuss my insecurities and express my feelings. I used to think I couldn’t create a brotherhood-like bond with someone from another race, but Sigma Alpha Epsilon proved otherwise.

As for my status in the Black community, I learned not to compromise my happiness for acceptance. I realized my own worries were detrimental to my happiness and I needed to focus my energy elsewhere to make them stop.

Joining SAE at Albright was fun and I received the acceptance I wanted.

However, I wouldn’t put myself through that process again. It made me anxious with the constant thought of who would accept me and who wouldn’t.

Temple does not have a chapter of SAE, so now that I am here I am committed to going with the flow. Rather than putting myself out there again and searching for new friend groups, I let people come and go as they please. mikyhial@temple.edu@temple.edu

temple-news.com

SPORTS PAGE 21

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

TRACK AND FIELD

Transfer hits stride as championships loom

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Kira Von Ehren is a junior who von Ehren said. “With some coaches, transferred to Temple from you can’t do that. ...Snyder and Forde have given me the chance to speak my Germany.

BY DONOVAN HUGEL Track and Field Beat Reporter Kira von Ehren is adjusting to her first season at Temple University, but she’s not a typical first-year runner.

Von Ehren, a junior transfer from Germany, is older than most runners at 23. This sets the distance runner as an adaptable team leader, coach Elvis Forde said.

“We always knew that she was a talent,” coach James Snyder said. “You can see by her running and her abilities. Not only that, but when you’ve had as much competition as her, you could tell that her maturity is beyond what we would call a typical freshman here coming from a high school.”

Ahead of The American’s indoor championships on Friday in Birmingham, Alabama, von Ehren is “hitting her stride,” Snyder added.

At the Valentine Invitational on Feb. 8 in Boston, she broke her mile personal record, finishing with a time of four minutes, 55.09 seconds — nearly two seconds faster than her previous time.

She helped the Owls win their first Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship in program history and earned all-region honors for her 22ndplace finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Nov. 9.

Before picking Temple, von Ehren was in contact with Tulane and California State University, Fresno during the transfer process. She chose Temple because of the approachable coaching staff and the urban environment.

“I wanted someone who would listen to me if I ever needed to do a little less in training or make some small changes in my form or anything else,” @TTN_Sports @TheTempleNews

mind when need be.”

Philadelphia “stuck out” to her when choosing schools, von Ehran said. She chose a city school because she wanted to to get out and do new things in a new country when she takes a break from running.

Von Ehren’s teammates look up to her because she is a very mature and experienced runner, junior mid-distance runner Millie Howard said.

Von Ehren’s maturity comes from both her age and athletic success in Germany and America, Forde said.

Von Ehren competed for three years at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. She competed in collegiate and club events around Germany including the 2017 and 2018 German Championships.

She played with the club SC Bayer 05 Uerdingen and finished 10th in the 5,000 at the 2018 German Championships. Von Ehren won the 3-x-800-meter event for Uerdingen at the under-23 championships in 2016.

“She acts a lot older and everyone on the team sees that,” Forde said. “A lot of times, we get kids here from the local Philadelphia area, and they’re all 18-19 years old. And when you’re that age, you still got a lot of learning to do.”

She set a new 3,000-meter personal record on Jan. 26.

“That was exciting because I never really ran any 3K’s in Germany,” von Ehren said. “I can’t really say how much I’ve improved running-wise, but I feel really good, and I know I can run faster than I have been earlier in the season.”

“She’s definitely got this experience about her,” Howard said. “She really knows what she’s doing out on the track.” donovan.hugel@temple.edu @donohugel

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SPORTS PAGE 23

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

ON THE COVER

Owls raise awareness for cancer, take home win “The Kay Yow cancer research Temple played the 12th is something that I think everyone annual Play4Kay game, which in women’s basketball is really suphonors a coach who died portive of,” Cardoza added. from cancer.

BY DANTE COLLINELLI Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter When Tonya Cardoza played basketball in college, she remembers playing against Kay Yow’s team.

Cardoza, Temple University women’s basketball coach, will always her team’s win on Sunday in a special place in her heart, not because of the result, but her relationship with Yow. The Owls’ (9-15, 5-6 American Athletic Conference) 78-70 home win against Cincinnati (16-9, 8-4 The American) was the 12th annual Play4Kay breast cancer awareness game.

The Play4Kay initiative is in honor Yow, the former North Carolina State University coach, and her lifetime goal of fighting women’s cancers. Yow started the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in 2007, two years before she died of breast cancer. It was her third recurrence in a five-year span.

“I knew her dearly,” Cardoza said. “It is something we all take to heart because just about everyone knows someone who has been affected.”

Cardoza and Yow were personal friends. She and the Naismith Hall of Famer competed in the same conference when Cardoza played at the University of Virginia from 198791.

Temple is one of 123 Division I schools that will play a Play4Kay game this season. Teams fundraise by selling T-shirts and holding raffles, wearing pink and honoring survivors. @TTN_Sports @TheTempleNews

To recognize the Play4Kay initiative on Sunday, Temple and Cincinnati coaches wore pink dresses and shirts and players on each team wore pink shoes. Cincinnati also sported pink uniforms.

The Owls had a raffle for Cardoza’s custom pink heels to raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

The team will know how much money it raised after its final home game on March 2 against Wichita State, a team spokesperson said.

The Owls also held a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research earlier this season during their home game against East Carolina on Jan. 26.

Teams across women’s college basketball began wearing pink during the 2004-05 season when Yow’s cancer returned after 17 years in remission. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund has raised more than $5 million dollars since 2007. The money is given to scientific programs focused on women’s cancers like breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among American women, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer could be diagnosed in women and 2,670 men in the United States, according to breastcancer.org, a nonprofit providing information to patients and their families.

“It means a lot to just go out and represent,” junior forward Shantay Taylor said. “We wanted to try and get the win for all the women who have cancer and breast cancer.” dante.collinelli@temple.edu @DanteCollinelli

GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Coach Tonya Cardoza instructs players from the sideline during the second half of the Owls’ 78-70 win against Cincinnati on Sunday at McGonigle Hall.

GENEVA HEFFERNAN / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple gathers during halftime of their 78-70 win against Cincinnati on Sunday at McGonigle Hall.

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SPORTS PAGE 24

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

FENCING

Sophomore epee adjusts to Division I program Zahrah Dinkins transferred to Temple after McKendree University cut its program.

BY ALEX McGINLEY Fencing Beat Reporter

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hen McKendree University cut its fencing program, Zahrah Dinkins was looking for a more competitive place to fence.

The sophomore epee talked to her cousin, former Temple University epee Safa Ibrahim, about her decision to transfer out of McKendree, a Division II school in Illinois. Ibrahim is the Owls’ all-time wins leader.

Soon after, Dinkins was “dead set” on transferring to Temple, motivated by the program’s nationally recognized reputation and her desire to carry on her cousin’s winning legacy, she said.

“Hearing from Safa, I knew she truly enjoyed her time here,” Dinkins said.

“I knew that the program was great and all of the coaches were pretty amazing. I knew that the program was really worth taking a part in.”

Coach Nikki Franke was familiar with Dinkins, who has fenced for 10 years, even before she transferred to Temple. Franke met Dinkins through Ibrahim when the two competed at national competitions last year. “[Dinkins] is a very hard worker,” Franke said. “I’ve known her for a couple of years. I’ve seen her fence. I know her capabilities, as well as her potential. It’s exciting to have her here and train on a regular basis.”

This season, Dinkins has a 10-2 record.

Before McKendree cut its program in April 2018 for financial reasons, Dinkins considered transferring at the end of her freshman year because she wasn’t

sports@temple-news.com

JEREMY ELVAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophomore epee Zahrah Dinkins (left) and junior epee Camille Simmons practice on Wednesday at the Student Pavilion.

getting enough out of its program.

Team practices at McKendree were not as rigorous as Temple’s practices, Dinkins said. Dinkins would work out by herself and occasionally have lessons with coaches outside of practice last year, which is not the case at Temple.

At Temple, Dinkins does everything with her teammates during and after practice, something she didn’t experience in her freshman year at McKendree. Dinkins and her new teammates hang out and have dinner with each other, she said.

“My teammates are like my sisters,” Dinkins said. “I see them every day. Lately, I’ve been seeing them every weekend because of our collegiate meets. ... Since we’re always seeing each other, I can really trust and rely on them.”

At McKendree, Dinkins had more free time. Here, the pre-med major

spends more time training and usually only has extra time to dedicate to her academic work, she said.

My teammates are like my sisters. ... Since we’re always seeing each other, I can really trust and rely on them.

ZAHRAH DINKINS SOPHMORE EPEE

“I told [Dinkins] to find the balance,” Ibrahim said. “Balancing fencing and academics can be a struggle at times, especially for certain majors.”

Dinkins wants to help the Owls’ improve heading toward the final events of the season, she said. Temple is ranked

No. 7 in the CollegeFencing360.com Women’s Coaches Poll, but Dinkins thinks her team can move higher.

Temple will have an opportunity to move up in the poll at the Temple Invitational on Sunday at McGonigle Hall.

Temple will face three ranked teams, No. 4 Penn State, No. 9 Penn and No. 10 Princeton University.

The Owls aim to hold their ranking but believe they could be ranked in the top-3.

“I want to carry the same work ethic and a positive mindset when I train,” Dinkins said. “When I’m talking to my teammates, I want to continue to encourage myself and everyone around me to be successful as best as we can.” alex.mcginley@temple.edu @mcginley_alex

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