Vol. 97 Iss. 25

THE TEMPLE NEWS

PAGE 1

TEMPLE STUDENT GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES DEBATE FOR FINAL TIME Voting begins on Tuesday. Read more on Page 4.

VOL 97 // ISSUE 25 APRIL 2, 2019 temple-news.com @thetemplenews

NEWS, PAGE 7 Temple’s U.S. campuses will be tobacco-free by Fall 2019.

OPINION, PAGE 10 A student writes about learning British slang while studying abroad.

FEATURES, PAGE 16 Students are using genealogy kits to learn about their ancestry.

SPORTS, PAGE 22 Three Owls will represent women’s gymnastics at the NCAA Regionals.

NEWS PAGE 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 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 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 Photography Editor Luke Smith Asst. Photography Editor Madison Seitchik Web Editor Co-Multimedia Editor Jared Giovan Co-Multimedia 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

Phuong Tran Advertising Manager Kelsey McGill Advertising Manager Daniel Magras Business Manager

ON THE COVER CLAUDIA SALVATO / 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

Adjuncts will negotiate with faculty union

The Temple Association negotiator, could not immediately be of University Professionals reached for comment.

The TAUP/Faculty Senate Child will begin its 2019 contract Care Committee, which began formaldiscussions next week.

BY SAMEET MANN For The Temple News The Temple Association of University Professionals, the university’s faculty union, will negotiate a new contract with the administration alongside adjunct faculty members for the first time The union will begin discussing the 2019 contract during the second week of April, said Steve Newman, the president of TAUP. The negotiations for the contract, which expires on Oct. 15, will be the first time adjunct and full-time faculty will bargain together. TAUP plans to bring issues such as university-provided child care and tuition benefits to the table.

“Any member of the bargaining unit, if they wish, can come watch negotiations and listen,” Newman said.

“Our membership will have a good sense of what proposals we’re putting on the table [and] what the administrative response is, so that they feel like they’re part of negotiations and we can also benefit from their wisdom,” he added.

TAUP now represents about 3,000 Temple University full-time employees, including adjunct faculty members, who were added to the union in 2015.

Adjunct members must be “regular part-time faculty” to be included in the contract, according to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board’s standards. After discussions with TAUP, Newman said, the university decided that adjunct members who have taught for at least one semester qualify as “regular.”

Sharon Boyle, vice president of human resources and the university’s chief

ly meeting in October 2016, cited child care as way for the university to attract “young, productive researchers and scholars,” according to the committee’s proposal submitted to Temple administrators. It also states that affordable child care is hard to find.

Sharon Washington, an assistant professor in the College of Public Health, is a single parent and does not have family located in Philadelphia. Unable to afford childcare, she sometimes resorts to bringing her daughter to class.

“I applied for this position and interviewed while I was pregnant and then I had my daughter,” she said. “I assumed that there was childcare on campus because we are a large institution.”

“I don’t know if there are rules about...bringing children to classes, but because there’s no support built into the infrastructure, I have to do what I have to do and then say sorry afterwards, basically,” Washington added.

TAUP members also propose providing faculty members with resources for their children to attend schools other than Temple. While TAUP members with more than one year of teaching can send their children to Temple with tuition remission, Newman said, they’d like more options in case their kids want to study a topic the university does not offer.

“Right now, faculty can send their kids to Temple, which is a fantastic school, and we feel very loyal to it,” Newman said. “But sometimes there are things that they want to study at other schools...so we’d like that option.” sameet.mann@temple.edu

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NEWS PAGE 4

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

CLAUDIA SALVATO / THE TEMPLE NEWS BecomingTU (left) and RiseTU are the two executive campaigns seeking to be the 2019-20 Temple Student Government administration. The two teams debated in Student Center Room 200C on Monday.

ON THE COVER

TSG candidates discuss sexual assault, BOT seat Students can vote for next year’s sault or mental health resources. administration on Tuesday and TSG AFFAIRS Wednesday.

BY GRACE SHALLOW & WILL BLEIER For The Temple News BecomingTU and RiseTU faced off in the final debate of this year’s Temple Student Government election season on Monday. Students can vote for next year’s executive team on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The two-hour debate, moderated by The Temple News and Temple Update, covered issues like student representation on the Board of Trustees, sexual assault and the feasibility of points on both teams’ platforms.

The campaigns first debated on March 21 in a debate moderated by members of TSG’s Ethics Board, which asked no questions about on-campus sexual as-

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

To reach more students, BecomingTU will expand TSG directors’ weekly office hours, with two hours in the office and two outside if it to visit student organizations, said Francesca Capozzi, BecomingTU’s presidential candidate at the debate.

“BecomingTU wants to encourage all students to be involved with Temple Student Government, whether that be taking director positions or just being informed about everything that’s going on,” Capozzi said.

BecomingTU also wants to implement a voting seat held by a non-TSG student on the Board of Trustees.

Capozzi said her team would work with local government to establish the position. Twelve of the 36 voting Board members are appointed by the state, but city officials are not involved in this pro-

cess.

To address low student participation, RiseTU will offer mobile and digital office hours that create “an online suggestion box/query streamline” for students to reach out to TSG, according to its platform.

Later, Diamante Ortiz, RiseTU’s candidate for vice president of services, was asked about her stepping down as IgniteTU’s director of Campus Safety before campaigning began. In questions submitted to The Temple News, students wondered how they could trust she’ll remain committed if RiseTU is elected.

Ortiz’s earlier role in TSG had “certain points of inefficiency” that pushed her to campaign with RiseTU, she said.

“It is needed to be emphasized for students who are currently in student government roles to understand that there can be other conflicts of interest involved and the ethicality of that,” Or-

tiz said.

Unlike Ortiz, Kaya Jones, BecomingTU’s candidate for vice president of external affairs, remained in her role as IgniteTU’s deputy director of local and community affairs.

“I thought it was very important to carry on my position throughout my time of campaigning because I want to act as that representation of students,” Jones said. “I want to continue to build relationships with members of the community and continue to build relationships with our administration so that next year, I’m well prepared to handle my position and external affairs.”

FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY

Alex Rosenberg, RiseTU’s vice presidential candidate of external affairs, said he wants to educate students about their eligibility for two federal aid programs: the Low Income Home Energy Assis-

temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 5

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

How to Vote for TSG:

Go to uvote.temple.edu starting on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. Voting will end at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Enter AccessNet Username and Password.

Information about BecomingTU and RiseTU, as well as Parliament candidates, can be found on the right side of the screen.

All seven candidates for Parliament seats will be automatically elected because they do not have challengers.

The winning executive campaign, BecomingTU or RiseTU, will be announced on Thursday.

tance Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Individuals must meet income requirements to receive SNAP and LIHEAP benefits. The maximum gross monthly income for a household of one to receive SNAP benefits is $1,316, according to the state’s Department of Human Services. For LIHEAP, the 2018 maximum annual income for one person to receive benefits was $12,140.

BecomingTU said it would appoint a student director focused on food and housing insecurity. The ticket also wants to implement the “Temple Wardrobe,” which would be a university-wide closet for students to access free clothing, which would function similar to Cherry Pantry, Capozzi said. Several colleges at Temple already offers a similar resource.

It would allow students and community residents to donate and pick up clothes for general use or for professional attire for job interviews.

@TheTempleNews

GREEK LIFE

Capozzi and Rosenberg are both members of Greek life. Capozzi is a member of Temple’s chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon and Rosenberg is a member of the Pi Lambda Phi chapter at Temple.

Both said they would be able to separate their experiences in Greek life from their roles in TSG’s executive campaign to represent all students.

Capozzi and Rosenberg want to hold Greek life accountable at Temple, they said. Rosenberg added that TSG should make strides to change what is the sometimes “toxic” and “masculine” culture of Greek life.

The university’s conversations about sexual assault need to focus more on preventing assault itself, not the role alcohol plays in Greek life, Banks said.

“The university blamed like alcohol for a few moments, and that was unacceptable,” Rosenberg said. “Rapists are

rapists. Alcohol does not create rapists.”

SEXUAL ASSAULT

The campaigns discussed how to best support survivors of sexual assault.

BecomingTU said it wants to expand already existing resources, while RiseTU’s platform states it wants to partner with organizations outside of the university.

Both said they would support a 24-hour, sexual assault reporting center on Main Campus.

Banks said BecomingTU would also appoint an intern to assist Andrea Seiss, the university’s Title IX coordinator, to “alleviate some of the stress that she has” dealing with cases. In its platform, BecomingTU also states it wants to implement mandatory Title IX training for student organizations into Student Training And Rewards System workshops.

RiseTU suggested bringing off-campus initiatives, like JDoe and the Callisto Project, to survivors. The Callisto Project is a third-party anonymous reporting system that partners with college campuses, and JDoe allows survivors to anonymously report incidents of sexual assault through a phone application.

Alexandra Gordon, RiseTU’s presidential candidate, also referenced expanding survivors’ access to rape kits, which are sexual assault forensic exams, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Health care professionals must be specially trained to conduct these tests, and the university’s ability to distribute kits would be limited.

“Having more localized resources, whether it is with police stations or some clinics that are around, is a step and working toward helping with sexual assault,” Gordon said. “It’s not going to be end-all, but it is a start.”

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Trash remains an issue that affects community residents who live near Main Campus, The Temple News reported last week.

Capozzi had discussions with the Office of Sustainability and learned more

about different ways to keep the community clean, she said, including a program where students ride on bikes and pick up trash.

“We believe that if we build a strong community or relationship and connection with our community, those cleanups won’t have to happen as much because of that courtesy and respect that will be built,” Capozzi said.

Students would be more aware of the community surrounding Main Campus through diversity trainings, Rosenberg said, and they need to be cognizant of the negative effects of terminology like “locals” sometimes used to describe members of the community.

BecomingTU said TUalerts should be expanded to community residents so they can be aware of dangerous situations near their homes.

RiseTU said this isn’t feasible, because it would slow down what is already a slow system.

BecomingTU said it has existing relationships with community residents, like Jackie Wiggins, a Stadium Stompers leader who lives on 20th Street near Diamond. Residents like Wiggins, Jones said, have already expressed interest in helping administer tours of the community to new students, one of BecomingTU’s platform points.

Jones said there is still campaigning left to do.

“It’s just begun,” she added. “We’re so excited to speak with students and have that face-to-face connection to inform them on both platforms and get them out to exercise their rights to vote.”

“I hope people are mobilized by the answers that we did have,” Gordon said.

“The crowd seemed to be very interactive with a lot of things that we said, so hopefully people go out and vote RiseTU if they see that our platform is the best for Temple University.” news@temple-news.com @TheTempleNews Lakota Matson contributed reporting.

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

NEWS PAGE 6

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

POLITICS

5th District residents cite development concerns Annette Pollard, who works in a Campus. “More things for the youth to The City Council primary is in by the 10-year property tax abatement, less than two months, and Darrell according to the report. Clarke has earli- nearby church and lives on 17th Street do so they can stay out of trouble, also Clarke no longer has opponents. er vowed to reform the abatement, The near Berks, said she has seen develop- investing more in schools.

BY HAL CONTE Political Beat Reporter North Philadelphia residents who live near Main Campus are concerned about the effects of gentrification ahead of May’s primary election for City Council’s 5th District seat.

Longtime incumbent and Council President Darrell Clarke now has no challengers for the primary election on May 21 as he seeks to continue in his role as city representative for the area including Main Campus. Clarke’s two opponents from earlier in the Democratic race, Sheila Armstrong and Omar Woodard, dropped out in March, citing a lack of support among community members and Democratic ward leaders on their social media accounts, respectively.

Some community residents believe Clarke uses his seat to propel projects in the district that they oppose, like the new 22nd District police station proposed to open on Diamond Street near 22nd by 2021.

A spokesperson for Clarke could not be reached for comment.

“You have the homeless out here, gentrification is everywhere,” said Jarrell Smith, a 27-year-old library assistant who lives on Susquehanna Avenue near Sydenham Street. “On one hand, gentrification works. On the other hand, it doesn’t. If you have the money to move, it’s nice and it’s great. At the same time, they force people out.”

Between 2000 and 2013, gentrification occurred in 57 census tracts in the city, a number higher than San Francisco and only behind New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., according to a March 2019 report by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, an association of organizations that promote affordable housing and job creation for working-class people.

The effects have been exacerbated News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

Temple News reported. The city first put the abatement into place 22 years ago, allowing property owners to pay zero property taxes on improvements for a 10-year period.

Gail Loney, the block captain for the 2200 block of North Lambert Street and a member of the Stadium Stompers, is not in favor of Clarke continuing his nearly 20 years in office because he’s allowed developers to build up throughout the community, she said.

“We’re not happy with his choices, his pitiful role and his decision-making,” Loney said. “He has turned his back on us. What he’s offering up to the powers that be is ridiculous.”

Temple students are undermining the area’s middle-class character, Loney added, especially with the amount of off-campus housing being built nearby.

“We’re not happy with the state of our immediate community,” she said.

“It’s overpopulated with students and continuous construction geared toward students. This is not campus. This is where people live.”

Jackie Wiggins, a retired teacher and Stadium Stompers leader, said residents are concerned with housing moving from single to multi-family.

Both Wiggins and Loney also strongly oppose the brand-new, modernized 22nd District police station, which will occupy about 50 property spaces on Diamond Street. They said the station is “part of the same mindset” as the university’s proposed on-campus stadium, which Temple has halted development for until officials build better relationships with the North Philadelphia community.

Other residents had a positive view of the area’s development.

“Things are going well around here,” said Clarence Grier, a 77-year-old retiree who lives on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 17th Street. “We are building the neighborhood and it’s OK. So far, so good.”

ment eliminate some of her neighborhood’s issues, like vacant lots.

“I’ve seen about two or three years of improvement,” Pollard said. “On 17th, 18th streets, new build-up of homes where there were vacant lots.”

Christy Tisdale, a 56-year-old resident who lives on Broad Street near Girard Avenue, expressed concern about the city’s investment in public schools.

“It’s getting better, but there’s always room for improvement though,” said Tisdale, who was raised near Main

The public school system should incorporate consumer education programs to teach residents about purchasing choices and small business start-up programs, Tisdale said. She’s not sure if she supports Clarke’s return to the 5th District office, she said. hal.conte@temple.edu

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NEWS PAGE 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

CAMPUS

Tobacco products banned from U.S. campuses The university announced ican Medical Association.

Shannan Lowe, a sophomore biolTuesday that it will ban cigarettes, cigars, hookah and devices, like ogy major who does not smoke tobacco products, said banning them on campusJuul.

BY DIANA CRISTANCHO Public Health Beat Reporter Temple University will become a tobacco-free campus, President Richard Englert announced on Tuesday.

The university, following recommendations from the Presidential Smoke-free Campus Task Force, will adopt a tobacco-free, clean air policy for all indoor, outdoor and adjacent sidewalks and walkways within all U.S. campus borders. This means the use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, hookah, nicotine delivery devices, like Juul, and chewing tobacco will be banned on Temple’s Main, Ambler, Harrisburg and Center City campuses.

The target completion date for the tobacco-free policy is July 1, Englert wrote in an email to the Temple community, with full implementation set for the start of Fall 2019.

“We plan to attack the issue on a number of fronts, including smoking cessation to help students, faculty, and staff break their nicotine addiction,” Englert wrote.

The task force, which was created in Spring 2017 and led by College of Public Health Dean Laura Siminoff, submitted its final report to Englert in May 2018.

It recommended several policies for the university to address health issues associated with tobacco use, including eliminating second-hand smoke and prohibiting the sale of tobacco and nicotine delivery devices on Temple’s campuses, including in privately-owned retail stores.

Siminoff could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

Juul purchases increased by 641 percent from 2.2 million nicotine delivery devices sold in 2016 to 16.2 million in 2017, according to a report by the Amer-

@TheTempleNews

es outright could be problematic for users, but tobacco use within campus borders should be limited.

“I do hate walking outside and inhaling smoke,” Lowe said. “They do have rules where you’re not allowed to smoke within 20 feet of an entrance [to a university building], but people still do it all the time.”

The university does have a policy in place that prohibits smoking within 25 feet of campus building entrances. However, in an observational study the task force conducted between October 2017 and March 2018, more than half of people seen smoking on campus between were less than 25 feet from building entrances. Specific problem areas included walkways between Tuttleman Learning Center and Speakman Hall and passageways around Anderson and Gladfelter halls.

As part of the tobacco-free campus implementation, the university will place no smoking signs around Temple’s campuses notifying the community about the policy and remove structures where smokers dispose of tobacco products.

The task force will also provide contact information for the university and city’s services to help tobacco users quit.

The task force found in a survey with 8,095 respondents that 36.4 percent of students smoked. Out of 2,420 university employee respondents, 34.5 percent smoked on Main Campus, according to the report.

Jessica Sykes, a senior communication studies major, said banning tobacco products might not be effective on a college campus, especially one like Temple, which is open to the public.

“If it’s a public institution, you can’t make students not do something that is a personal choice, even if it’s unhealthy and it produces second-hand smoke,” Sykes said.

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS Temple announced it will enforce a tobacco-free policy on its United States campuses, which will be fully implemented in Fall 2019.

“You can’t ban a commercial product in a campus bubble because it is still a public space,” she added.

The task force will have “compassionate” enforcement of the new policy, according to the report, which also details that Temple Police will also handle enforcement, especially in specific “hot spots” where smoking is common, like outside of Anderson and Gladfelter halls and the TECH Center. If someone is using tobacco products on campus, they will be provided with information about available addiction services.

Smoking adds extra costs to the university’s efforts to combat litter and environmental pollution. Temple Facilities and Management staff estimate an expenditure of $17,250 for the initial purchase of 115 structures to dispose of tobacco products and $750 annually for replacing them.

Facilities and Management also estimates an additional $22,000 annually in staff time for cleaning cigarette butts from walkways and emptying receptacles, the report states.

The task force will work with Campus Safety Services to establish consequences for students, faculty and staff when they violate the new policy, according to the report.

“I hope more people are encouraged to quit or at least to take a second look on why they decide to smoke,” said Maria Dattilo, a senior communication studies major. “If smoking were to be banned on campus, it would encourage them not to smoke as much and it would probably save their lungs too.” diana.cristancho@temple.edu

News Desk 215.204.7419 news@temple-news.com

OPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

PAGE 8 EDITORIALS

Vote in TSG elections this week On Tuesday and Wednesday, Temple University students can cast their vote in the 2019-20 Temple Student Government elections. The two executive teams on the ballot are RiseTU and BecomingTU. All students running for Parliament seats are unopposed.

We strongly encourage students to take the time to vote for an executive campaign they feel is best fit to represent the entire student body next academic year.

After all, students are the only ones who can hold TSG accountable, and that can only happen if we all take the time to read up on those who are running and have our voices heard through a vote.

Though TSG reported its third-highest recorded turnout last year, a vast majority of Temple’s student population is still not voting for their student leaders.

These leaders are tasked with communicating with university administrators and implementing programs that will benefit

the Temple community. And they should get to hear all students’ voices when taking on this responsibility.

The Temple community should not continue this pattern of apathetic voter turnout again this year.

To vote, students can go to uvote. temple.edu and sign in using their AccessNet usernames and passwords until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. Information about BecomingTU and RiseTU, as well as Parliament candidates, can be found on the right side of the website, and in The Temple News’ coverage of the first and second executive team debates and the atlarge Parliament representative debate.

All seven candidates for Parliament seats will be automatically elected because they do not have challengers. The winning executive campaign will be announced on Thursday.

Stay active in TSG and be sure to vote in this year’s election.

Tobacco-free policy a pipe dream

Temple University will ban all tobacco products from its United States campuses, President Richard Englert announced on Tuesday.

Use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes and nicotine delivery devices like Juuls, will be prohibited for all indoor, outdoor and adjacent sidewalks and walkways on Temple’s Main, Ambler, Harrisburg and Center City campuses.

This decision comes following recommendations from the Presidential Smokefree Campus Task Force, led by Laura Siminoff, the dean of the College of Public Health.

Earlier policies to deter tobacco use didn’t work very well. The task force tested the university’s standing policy that prohibited smoking within 25 feet of campus building entrances. Members found that more than half of people seen smoking on campus were less than 25 feet from these entrances.

University officials should use their letters@temple-news.com

time and effort to enforce their earlier, attainable policy to prohibit smoking within 25 feet of building entrances, before moving on a tobacco-free initiative.

This universal tobacco-free policy is a commendable dream, but nothing more.

While Temple Police will have “compassionate” enforcement of the policy, it truly is impossible to become a totally tobacco-free campus.

Cigarette smoking causing an estimated 480,000 deaths, including 41,000 secondhand smoke exposure deaths, each year, according to a 2017 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report.

While we discourage our peers from using tobacco products, realistically, each student is an adult who makes decisions for themselves.

Temple should focus on its earlier steps in reducing tobacco use on campus because the real change will need to come from students who enjoy cigarettes and Juuls.

COMMUNITY

Support One Step Away And aside from helping people Buying a copy of One Step Away monetarily, One Step Away takes it a magazine helps someone in step further by focusing its content on poverty earn some income.

B

eing a strongly empathetic person can lead to both wonderful and heart-wrenching moments. It’s a blessing and a curse to feel things so deeply.

Going to school in this urban environment, my heart breaks whenever I see people who BRITTANY VALENTINE are experiencing FEMINISM COLUMNIST homelessness asking for money and being ignored by virtually all passersby. And the cash I hand someone isn’t going to sustain them for long.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’ll be glad to know there is something you can do to benefit the homeless community of North Philadelphia on a grander scale. A magazine called One Step Away directly benefits those around us who are experiencing poverty. By supporting One Step Away, you’re giving a voice to neighbors who are trying to break out of poverty.

Salespeople often sell the monthly issue of the magazine on Main Campus, usually near the Bell Tower, or elsewhere in Philadelphia like 17th Street near Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Broad Street near Chestnut and 10th Street near South. You can also support them by purchasing a beanie, tote or t-shirt on their website.

Street vendors facing economic hardship invest $1.50 for each magazine, sell them on the street for $5 and keep the difference.

social justice.

You’re also keeping print journalism alive and reading impressive articles and poetry. The magazine covers a wide range of topics like mental health, immigration, food insecurity and substance use disorders.

Liz Olson, a senior political science major, has been buying One Step Away since high school, and she loves “the diverse voices and stories within in and the support it provides to its vendors.”

Nearly 400,000 Philadelphia residents currently live below the poverty line, WHYY reported. In January 2018, 1,083 people are homeless.

Walking to and from the Temple University Regional Rail station, I met someone who is currently without a home, and I often give him money and sit down to talk. Most days, I’m the first person to donate or even acknowledge his presence.

He used to hold a sign that read, “I’m homeless, which means I’m invisible.”

I couldn’t agree more with that sentence. People walk right by people experiencing poverty. But I’m hoping more people break that habit when they see this magazine they can enjoy for a small donation.

That $5 bill might not be a huge investment for you, but to someone without a home or a steady income, it can make a huge difference.

And people who work hard to produce the publication and stand outside selling it deserve to make their profit. Isn’t that how work, works? brittany.leigh.valentine@temple.edu @recoveryspirit

temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 9

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

DIVERSITY

Privilege: The real college admissions scandal Even if wealthy people hadn’t ity through school funding by property bribed their way into college, taxes, a system in need of change.

Urban schools, which often serve the admissions process still Black, Latinx or Asian-American comwouldn’t be fair.

As an education major, I’ve followed the college admissions scandal closely, understanding how entirely unfair it was to students who deserved those spots.

But I also know that the parents were exploiting a system that had favored them for decades of TYLER PEREZ American history.

LGBTQ COLUMNIST Last month, 50 people were charged by the FBI for participating in a system to get wealthy children admitted into prestigious universities. But the bribing and cheating isn’t the only thing that makes the system unjust: systemically, these systems are rigged toward those with high socioeconomic status from the get-go.

If Lori Loughlin’s child wasn’t bribed into the University of Southern California, another wealthy student would likely have been admitted in her place.

Mackenzie Beckman, a sophomore early childhood education major, recently gave a guest lecture for Temple’s Feminist Alliance organization on education and gentrification. In her mind, the scandal is an issue emphasizing the effects of the class divide.

“I found it to be so ridiculous and unfair because these kids that are going into it are already at such an advantage because of their privilege, and to add on top of it, you have these parents literally paying to get their kids into colleges,” Beckman said.

It’s a system of unfair resource access and school quality, both of which affect students’ chances of getting into college.

And it’s a system that retains its inequal-

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munities, are largely underfunded. This lack of funding can cause highly unequal student-to-teacher ratios, underkept buildings and diminished access to important resources like books. All of these negatively impact a low-income student’s chance at acceptance to a top-tier university.

In 2015, Pennsylvania had the widest gap in state and local funding between wealthy and poor districts of any state, the Washington Post reported.

That disparity spells difficulties for the state’s low-income cities and rural areas.

David Bromley is an urban education instructor and the executive director of Big Picture Philadelphia, a nonprofit that provides educational experiences to the city’s high school students. He said the issue demonstrates privilege.

“Some students have their tuition paid all the way, some students don’t even have to think about college, and for some of them, that’s all set from the day they’re born,” Bromley said. “That same group of students is more likely to have more exposure to more types of activities and a wide range of professionals to surround them, and that becomes the norm of their life.”

“They might have smaller class sizes which helps them build more relationships with teachers and mentors,” Bromley added.

Schools in upper-class communities have greater access to resources essential to success in the college application process like guidance counselors, extracurricular activities, personalized SAT/ ACT tutoring and Advanced Placement classes.

These are all determinants of one’s likelihood to attend a prestigious university, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“Since schools are funded by prop-

EMMA STEVENS / THE TEMPLE NEWS

erty taxes, the better the area you live in, the better schools there are,” Beckman said. “If your parents can’t afford... those neighborhoods, then you’re placed in a worse school, and so we’re basically denying kids a high-quality education based on how much their parents make.

It’s not fair.”

Education policy analyst Linda Darling-Hammond, the president of the Learning Policy Institute, made this point clear after her organization released a 2017 report affirming this.

“Right now, in many states, schools with the highest-need students receive fewer resources than those serving the most affluent, which translates to less experienced teachers, larger classes, and, ultimately, lower graduation rates and lower achievement levels,” Darling-Hammond told NEA Today, the National Education Association’s online magazine.

While reforming the college admissions process to prevent further fraud or bribery is ambitious and necessary, it doesn’t address the root cause of inequality responsible for the small percentage

of minority students at top universities, specifically Black students. The Black student population at Georgetown University is 7 percent, and at Stanford University it’s 6 percent, according to the College Board.

We need to reorient the ways schools are funded to ensure schools that need more resources can get to them.

School funding policy needs to acknowledge and address the unique set of challenges urban schools face by distributing resources based on need.

As a future educator, it gravely concerns me to see that a student’s socioeconomic status plays such a dramatic role in their ability to receive a quality education, and ultimately to receive a fair admittance to school. The Department of Education needs to move beyond preventing another cheating scandal from happening and needs to restructure how schools are funded in order to give disadvantaged students a fair opportunity. tyler.perez@temple.edu @perezodent

letters@temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 10

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

London slang, getting lost in translation

I’ve definitely picked up on some of or interpreting things a certain way, we A student reflects on the I visited enough places to give tourists his terms too. always seem to work it out. many cultural differences she insider tips.

This feeling of comfort changed I say “mate” more than I probably But there are a few words I can’t see experienced while interning when I started working and dating in the should and have replaced my previous myself using, no matter how integrated I abroad.

BY KIMBERLY BURTON Politics Columnist I sat there for a moment, staring at my phone screen, trying to figure out what “cba” meant.

I’d been living in London for about a month and texting a British guy for a couple of weeks. We had gone on one date. But I just couldn’t decode this text I’d received from him.

Was it something to do with his job?

Some company I didn’t know about? It sounded more like an acronym for a weird government department than anything I had heard of before.

A few minutes of Googling later, I found my answer. “Cba” was the cousin of the more polite “can’t be bothered.” It stands for “can’t be arsed.”

As most Americans would, I laughed a little bit.

Recently, it seems like everyone and their mother is spending semesters abroad, and I admittedly was no different.

I had never even been on a plane before. The farthest from Pennsylvania I had ever traveled was South Carolina or Maine. So I was expecting a massive culture shock, and at first, it didn’t really happen.

Being American in an international city like London generally wasn’t that weird. Yes, some things weren’t familiar, like food choices or worrying about being obnoxious on public transportation.

But it wasn’t like I needed to learn another language or mannerisms entirely.

At least, in theory.

I felt strangely comfortable in London. After a few weeks, I had already passed the touristy point and knew my way around the city. I had the Tube route announcements memorized. I figured out whether I was a Waitrose, Tesco or Sainsbury’s kind of grocery person. letters@temple-news.com

city though. That’s when I realized how the smallest differences can be so startling.

It all started with learning strange texting language like “cba,” but it progressed into me absentmindedly spelling “favorite” with the letter “u.” I also realized no one besides my roommates from Temple University understood my American slang.

At my internship, my office had a completely separate hot water tap just for tea, and our cabinets were filled with mugs. Eating at your desk earned you extremely odd looks and going out to the pub after work was a huge part of office culture.

While Americans can be seen as too upfront or abrupt, British work culture revolves a lot around indirect direction.

This may sound counterintuitive, but phrases like “when you get a chance” or “when you have time, can you look into that” are commonplace, but not literal.

They really mean “complete this as soon as possible.”

I once used the phrase, “dress pants” to describe business formal wear to a co-worker. Based on the mix of horror and confusion on her face, I slowly remembered “pants” is the word for what Americans would call underwear.

During all of this, I slowly got used to the culture. Sometimes, I still felt like the stereotypical American girl, but I was able to fit in fairly well most times.

A few months later, the guy who taught me weird British slang became my boyfriend. And the city — thousands of miles from Main Campus and my family — felt like home.

Now on a pretty regular basis, you can hear an English accent bouncing around my apartment through FaceTime, although my boyfriend uses American slang now way more than ever.

usage of “to be honest” with “to be fair.”

And when I use that phrase in my texts as “tbf,” I confuse my American counterparts in the process.

A few times, I even caught myself saying “two-pound 50” or “75 p” in place of American monetary terms.

And while my boyfriend and I still confuse each other sometimes by using specific terms that get lost in translation

become. I can’t imagine my Philadelphia tinged accent sounding any less ridiculous by using words like “gaff” to describe my house, or “boot” instead of “car trunk.” I’m sure my British counterparts would agree. kimberly.burton@temple.edu @kimberlyburton_

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temple-news.com

OPINION PAGE 11

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

Yoga: my self-care method, my happy place A student writes about discovering yoga and how it helped eliminate her stress and anxiety.

BY PAVLINA CERNA International Columnist

The temperature has reached nearly 95 degrees. A humidifier in the corner blows puffs of steam into the air. A diffuser spreads the calming scents of lavender and tea tree oil throughout the room. Everyone around me is sitting and stretching.

My instructor asks us to find a comfortable seat on our mats and focus on our breathing as we prepare our bodies for 60 minutes of intensive movement.

First drops of sweat fall onto the wooden floor.

Anjali Power Yoga on South Street near 15th is my sacred place. My mat, with printed chakra symbols, is where I come to destress. I love every second and every pose of it. This is my treasured me-time.

Originating thousands of years ago in today’s Nepal, yoga arrived in the United States in the 19th century. It helps people all over the world find inner peace and improve their well-being — I am one of them.

I first tried yoga during the summer of 2017. I had a membership at a YMCA in West Chester, Pennsylvania, so I decided I’d give it a shot and see what all the hype is about, having no expectations.

I joined a gentle yoga class, designated for beginners, and was the youngest in the room by at least 40 years. I was also the clumsiest.

While all the ladies reached for their toes from a standing position, the floor never seemed more out of reach to me.

I tried to copy the movements of other yogis the best I could and attempted to learn the names of as many poses as possible.

Downward-facing dog. Warrior I. Triangle. Cat. Cow. Savasana. @TheTempleNews

I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved it. My body felt rejuvenated after the first class, and I experienced a new sense of peace. I needed to go back.

Now — about two years later — I can confidently touch my toes while standing, and I’ve learned the names of most poses in both English and Sanskrit.

By its origin, yoga focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body.

But in the Western world, yoga is more focused on the physical aspect; asanas, pranayama and dhyana. Those are the Sanskrit words meaning poses, breathing techniques and meditation.

During April 2018, I traveled to Bali, Indonesia, where I had the honor of practicing with an actual yoga guru, a person who focuses more on the spiritual journey than poses.

We practiced breathing and meditation. With each movement, we worshipped nature, spirits and each corner of Earth, giving special thanks to Mother Nature.

It might sound like spiritual crap when put into words, but in the heart of the Balinese culture, it was a magical experience.

I found my current yoga studio while looking for a business to write about for my Writing for Journalism class last semester.

Hidden among stores, bars and restaurants, I discovered a modest-looking, narrow house with a blue and brick exterior. A flag hung outside informs passersby about the purpose of the space.

Visitors are prompted to take their shoes off in the front room. The main studio that follows feels calm and welcoming. Light-blue walls are complemented by a painting of Buddha above a wall-mounted electric fireplace and contrasts with the dark-blue ceiling.

The deep blue curtains are tied with golden ropes, and the space is decorated with elephant statuettes hanging on strings from ceiling to floor.

It was love at first practice.

There are various styles of yoga that

ALI GRAULTY / THE TEMPLE NEWS

might differ in temperature, intensity, language and spirituality. This studio focuses on Baptiste yoga, best described as a high-intensity workout in high-temperature, following founder Walt Baptiste’s mottos: “You are ready now,” and “If you can, you must.”

Finding something I am passionate about has helped me cope with the stress of college. Especially in the middle of an overwhelming week filled with exams and assignments, taking a yoga break is what keeps me sane. It reduces my anxi-

ety. Finding an hour to myself, escaping the always-buzzing campus and treating my overworked mind to a well-deserved rest is my favorite self-care practice.

Maybe yoga really improves people’s health or maybe it’s a placebo effect.

Either way, it works for me. Yoga is my passion. I hope everyone finds their own fun form of stress relief. pavlina.cerna@temple.edu

letters@temple-news.com

FEATURES

PAGE 12

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Club builds low-cost, customizable prosthetics

AYOOLUWA ARIYO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Morgan Rollins, a sophomore bioengineering major and founder of Temple Prosthetics and Orthotics, works on a prosthetic hand on March 1 in the College of Engineering Building.

Temple Prosthetics and ple Prosthetics and Orthotics, in which Orthotics aims to partner students collaborate with faculty and with local hospitals to provide outside organizations to develop technologically advanced prosthetics. affordable prosthetics.

BY AYOOLUWA ARIYO For The Temple News

A

fter Morgan Rollins’s fourth shoulder surgery, her soccer coach at Temple University asked her to make a choice.

It was between being able to hold her future children, or playing soccer for a couple more years.

“The fourth [sprain], I was just in my bed and I reached for my phone and it got to that point, and that was kind of a wake-up call,” Rollins said.

Inspired by her struggles with her own injuries, the sophomore bioengineering major quit soccer at the end of her freshman year to focus on her field of study. This semester, she started the university’s first prosthetics club, Temfeatures@temple-news.com

The club aims to help students learn about prosthetics and provide free, individualized prosthetic limbs to amputees in the city by Fall 2019. Members hope to partner with patients and their doctors to create prosthetics that patients can customize the color, shape, size and activity they’re used for.

“A lot of people feel different and an outcast if they’re wearing prosthetics,” Rollins said. “We want them to be able to afford a prosthetic that’s high tech and something that they’re proud of.”

Rollins will reach out to doctors at nearby hospitals, like Temple University Hospital, who have patients in need of prosthetics. In addition to providing patients with prosthetics for free, Rollins hopes to supply doctors with the technology at low costs.

Prosthetics pricing varies greatly depending on a person’s needs, but

a prosthetic leg can cost up to $50,000, according to the Alliance of Advanced Biomedical Engineering, a community of professionals in the biomedical field.

In Spring 2018, Rollins and some teammates won a $4,000 Creative Arts, Research, and Scholarship Program grant from the university to build a prosthetic arm. They worked on the project that summer while working in bioengineering professor Andrew Spence’s lab, which focuses on neuromuscular injuries and disorders. Spence serves as the Temple Prosthetics and Orthotics club’s faculty adviser.

During the project, more than 30 students of various majors reached out to Rollins to help, prompting her to form the club.

“We have a bunch of faculty support and everyone is very interested in actually making this happen, which is really, really fun to watch,” Rollins said.

As a high school junior, Rollins took anatomy and physics classes to pursue physical therapy. After experiencing

depression from not having a physical therapist after her second surgery, she merged what she learned in class with biomechanics by working on a prosthetics project for class.

It involved 3D-printing a bionic arm coded to move at the press of a button.

The following year, Rollins made a prosthetic leg for her gym teacher of 10 years who lost her leg from an infection.

Rollins was recruited by big-name universities including Harvard University, she said, but committed to Temple because of soccer.

“I like being part of something that is not just big, but is growing, and Temple in the past three or four years has just grown immensely,” she said.

Rollins enjoys that her club is full of students from a variety of majors, not just engineering, she said.

Emily Keitel, a junior early childhood education major and the club’s secretary, said people are surprised to find out she’s not studying engineering.

“What this club is about is helping people in the community get prosthetics,” she said. “Even though I won’t be a part of actually building any prosthetic, I still think it’s such a great thing to be a part of and a great cause.”

Spence hopes to instill in club members an enthusiasm to help others — a quality Rollins has, he said.

“Right from the start, she just gets up and does things and is fearless, in a good way,” Spence added. “She’s not afraid to try new things and if she doesn’t know stuff, she’ll go learn it.”

Rollins’ main focus for the club is giving prosthetics to those in need.

“I want to be able to get them prosthetics so they can carry on their lives, so they can lift their kids and play with their animals,” she said. “We want to help them by giving something they’re proud of and that works.” ayooluwa.ariyo@temple.edu @fogo_ay

temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 13

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

FACULTY

Professor takes higher ed research to Congress An economics professor testified for the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor last month.

BY MADISON KARAS Campus Beat Reporter Most days, Douglas Webber can be spotted in class using Legos and pipe cleaners to visualize economics to his students.

The displays make his classes more engaging and allow him to show more simply how to analyze data on income disparities between college students, he said.

“These are the types of things that I can illustrate with Legos, but it’s really real-world stuff that you have to think about when you’re evaluating research,” added Webber, an economics professor and researcher.

On other days, Webber can be found testifying before the United States House Committee on Education and Labor about college affordability and financial aid, like he did last month. The hearing took place as Congress continues to consider reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, which strengthens educational resources and federal funding available for financial aid for college students.

Webber presented to the House one day after the FBI uncovered a national college admissions scandal, which involved dozens of wealthy parents and celebrities allegedly bribing elite colleges to admit their kids.

The scandal, which was widely discussed at the hearing, sparked conversations about topics Webber focuses on in his research, like the value of a college degree and when and how a college education pays off, he said.

Parents allegedly spent up to $6.5 million to guarantee their children’s admission into schools like Yale University and the University of Southern California. But the money wasn’t worth it, Webber said.

“On average, the answer’s ‘No.’ That paying the amount of money that these @TheTempleNews

MADISON KARAS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Economics professor Douglas Webber uses Legos and pipe cleaners to create graphs illustrating economic trends in his classes.

people were paying, you’re not getting that much return for it,” added Webber, who is also the director of graduate studies in the Economics Department.

Last year, Webber studied the impact of layoffs on working college students, the interstate mobility of recent college graduates and the distribution of lifetime earnings by major.

In his upcoming research, Webber found students’ majors matter two times more than what college they attend. He also found students majoring in fields with high workforce demand, like engineering, at less selective colleges earned more than students in other majors at more competitive colleges.

While certain majors earn more on average than others, it may not always be true at every school, Webber added.

Veronika Konovalova, a junior mathematical economics and political science major in Webber’s Economics of Education and Human Capital class, said potential career earnings highly influenced her major choices.

“It was part economic pressure that was secondhand from my parents and

part me still trying to find a way for me to pursue my passion with that,” Konovalova said.

Her parents were unhappy with her political science choice, but they were pleased with mathematical economics, which is a “more quantitative field” with “higher ability” to earn money, she said.

The hearing Webber attended was the first of five where the committee can hear testimony that will shape the new iteration of the Higher Education Act. Webber testified the cost of college, with consideration of financial aid packages, has spiked by 75 percent at fouryear public institutions since 1990. But average support per student from state and local sources has decreased by about 25 percent in the last three decades.

For Sean Starosta, a sophomore economics major and Konovalova’s classmate, the cost of college was the primary factor he considered as he chose his college and program. But potential earnings also had some influence, he said.

“I chose it partially because I knew there were economics majors, and they make money, and that was important

for my parents,” Starosta added. “People who don’t understand the returns of their majors are at risk of making decisions that might hurt themselves.”

The problem, Webber said, is the unavailability of data on different income levels post-graduation per major.

That information would help students make their career decisions, Konovalova said.

Webber wants the U.S. Department of Education to release data in the College Scorecard, an online tool that helps students determine the costs of attending a school, about average earnings per major, rather than just the overall average post-graduation income university-wide. This data could help students better select a major that could help finance their tuition costs down the road, Webber said.

“We are going to get those data, but it can’t happen soon enough,” he added.

“Students are making decisions right now, and they need better data.” madison.karas@temple.edu @madraekaras

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 14

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

ALUMNI

New Mayfair theater strengthens community ties The Mayfair Black Box Theater, artist-in-residency programs, produc- forming artists, visual artists, sound plays. This way, audience members can led in part by a 2017 theater ing plays and promoting local artists in designers and lighting designers,” Cam- attend three nights in a row and see a bridge added. different play each time, Brighter said. alumna, emphasizes supporting Northeast Philadelphia.

The Mayfair Black Box is the only Spending six months simultaneously The theater will also host a comedy local artists.

BY TYRA BROWN Entertainment Beat Reporter Mayfair, a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, was historically known for having a strong Irish-American culture.

Recently, African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Middle Eastern immigrants have moved into the neighborhood, shaking up the area’s historical roots.

As Mayfair continues to diversify, so does its arts and culture scene, starting with the opening of its first theater, the Mayfair Black Box Theater. Kate Brighter, a 2017 theater alumna, is the driving force behind the venue, on Frankford Avenue near Robbins Street, which opened on March 15 with its first production, “Almost, Maine.”

This theater is part of the Wings of Paper Theatre Company, a nonprofit theater and community arts company that supports local artists by holding

theater in the neighborhood, Brighter said, and it emphasizes encouraging community members to visit the theater and get involved in the performances.

The theater will host Mayfair’s Got Talent on April 6 to encourage local singers, dancers, comedians, musicians, magicians, acrobats and other performers to showcase their talents and come together, Brighter said.

Brighter joined the team as the director of operations last October when a friend connected her with John Cambridge, the company’s artistic director.

Brighter reached out to Cambridge, and they immediately started working together, she said.

“John was the one that started the company, but together we literally built the theater from scratch,” Brighter said.

Cambridge started the company because of his fascination with the “complexity” of theaters and how they merge several artforms into one place, he said.

“It was really exciting to create something where we are involving per-

building a theater and putting together a show proved challenging for the company, Brighter said, but it was also her favorite part of the job so far.

“Almost, Maine” is a romantic comedy centered around the residents of the fictional town Almost inexplicably falling in and out of love in strange ways under the northern lights one Friday night.

Michael Berbano, a 2018 theater alumnus, starred as one of the lead actors and said he was excited to be part of a new company.

“Not a lot of people have the opportunity to be involved in the beginning of a new theater,” Berbano said. “Being able to see the theater being built was just a really incredible experience and definitely a very unique one.”

The theater’s next production is “A Flight of Feathers,” which features a 60-minute show with six different 10-minute plays by Philadelphia playwrights. It has seven showings between April 11-20 and will rotate through 18

DANA WESTFIELD Junior advertising major

VOICES

Would you take a geneaology test?

Why or why not?

[Yes]. Being biracial, it would be really interesting to see my dad’s side of the family because it gets a little mixed up.

TAHA CANGOZ Senior biology major

No, I wouldn’t. In their terms and conditions, [companies] say that once they sequence your DNA they own what they find out about your DNA.

features@temple-news.com

night on April 27, where local comedians can perform in a two-hour show.

Brighter hopes the event will draw crowds to the 100-person-capacity venue and the theater will host more comedy nights moving forward.

“We are excited to continue to work with local artists who want to try something that might be a bit outside of their comfort zone,” Cambridge said. “It is just exciting to continue to grow and really foster the community aspect in this area.”

As the theater grows, Brighter and Cambridge aim to expand throughout Philadelphia and get the entire city involved in their productions.

“We want people to come and perform their art on our stage,” Brighter said. “We love working with people and getting to know others. We just love people’s art. tyra.brown@temple.edu @tyrabrown_

BRONWYN LOSKYWITZ Freshman media studies and production major No. It just scares me, the whole idea that someone could have all my information on hand at any time.

PENJ QIAN Freshman computer science major I would not take the DNA test because…I don’t want to know any diseases in the future. I don’t want to know the results.

temple-news.com

FEATURES TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

PAGE 15

LIVE IN PHILLY

Spring kicks off with flea market along the waterfront

LUKE SMITH / THE TEMPLE NEWS

More than 70 vendors kicked off spring on Saturday at the first antique and vintage flea market of the season at Cherry Street Pier, hosted by Phila Flea Markets.

The market, situated along the Delaware River waterfront in Old City, also featured food from eatery Birdie’s Biscuits and Indonesian restaurant Hardena. Visitors lined up for scoops of Little Baby’s Ice Cream, enjoying desserts and spending time with their dogs as they sat along the waterfront.

“Now that it’s springtime, we’re running both piers, and I feel as though the crowd is a lot larger,” said Tony Soprano, 61, the coordinator of Phila Flea Markets.

Kenny Ash, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, visited the market with his girlfriend.

“I came here for the food, while she came for the fashion stuff and jewelry,” Ash said. “She went over there to check out some clothes, then all of a sudden I lost her, so I’m just sitting here enjoying the sun.”

“It definitely seemed like a place to be,” said John Harris, a 31-year-old Passyunk resident. @TheTempleNews

features@temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 16

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

STUDENT LIFE

Students take DNA tests to learn about heritage Some students like to learn five years, according to MIT Technology once removed, she said.

Stefanie Beard said she was adopted about their roots, but others are Review. The companies boomed in popularity in 2018. from the Huazhou Social Welfare Instiskeptical of these test kits.

BY BIBIANA CORREA Trend Beat Reporter Stefanie and Kristyn Beard were adopted from different orphanages in China.

Stefanie Beard, a junior mechanical engineering major, grew up debating with her sister which one of them had a higher percentage of Chinese heritage in their DNA. To settle the argument, the Beard family decided to do 23andMe genealogy kits together last Christmas. 23andMe is an online company that provides DNA testing through saliva collection, which determines ancestry, genetic traits and predispositions to some diseases.

Stefanie and Kristyn Beard discovered they were 77 percent and 99 percent Chinese, respectively.

Many Temple University students are taking DNA tests to learn more about themselves and their families. Approximately 26 million Americans sent their DNA, either by spitting or swabbing their mouths, to companies including 23andMe and AncestryDNA in the last

Olivia Siegel, a sophomore music therapy major, received a 23andMe health and ancestry kit last December as a gift to learn more about her mother’s family, she said. The results indicated that Siegel, who is half Jewish on her father’s side, is a combined 10.3 percent French and German, and 21.8 percent British.

“The only ones that really surprised me were that I’m French and German a little bit more,” Siegel said. “I only know of one person who’s German from the family, but he was married in, so that’s why.”

The health report was equally important to Siegel, who has a hemangioma, or benign tumor that is a buildup of blood vessels. The medical condition didn’t appear in her report, Siegel said, causing her to believe it isn’t hereditary.

The ancestry kit from 23andMe costs $99, while the health and ancestry service costs $199. 23andMe also offers a DNA Relatives tool for customers to find people who share similar DNA. Stefanie Beard used the tool and discovered Claire Mitchell, who is either her second cousin or her first cousin

tution, an orphanage in southern China, three years before Mitchell. Mitchell grew up in Kansas and went to Bryn Mawr College, about 30 minutes from Temple.

“It’s kind of crazy because what are the odds we would go to colleges so close together, even though she’s from so far away?” said Stefanie Beard, who also found she was 13 percent Vietnamese.

Stefanie Beard and Mitchell met in person this semester, and instantly got along, she said. They’ve hung out several times since meeting and spent the Chinese New Year in Chinatown watching the Dragon Parade.

Although DNA tests are becoming increasingly popular, some are skeptical about the tests’ security. Genetic companies have shared DNA information with law enforcement, drug makers and app developers, Axios reported.

Freshman social work major Suzanne Lindabery is skeptical of these tests. After reading articles about the kits, she doesn’t like the thought of the government having her information, she said.

“I still don’t like the idea of them

CHERRY &

having access to my DNA and ancestry and stuff without my consent or awareness at all,” Lindabery added.

Colleen Boyd, a 2018 philosophy and environmental studies alumna, was worried about the accuracy of DNA tests.

She felt better that her results from MyHeritage, an online genealogy platform, didn’t make any “wild claims” about her ancestry, she said.

Boyd and her friend got free MyHeritage DNA tests from FX Networks, an American cable channel, during a 2017 promotion for its Marvel Comics-based show “Legion,” which is about a mutant. The test found Boyd is mainly from Northwestern Europe, which she already assumed.

“I’ve always been curious because my dad is adopted and I’m not too familiar with his lineage, and my mom supposedly is half-Irish and half-German,” Boyd said.

For Stefanie Beard, DNA tests are worth it for people who want to know more about their heritage.

“I never had the intention of finding any relatives,” she said. “It was a one-ina-million shot kind of thing.” bibiana.correa@temple.edu

WHAT? Your questions answered. temple-news.com/cherry-and-what

features@temple-news.com

temple-news.com

FEATURES PAGE 17

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

PHILLY WINE WEEK WORD SEARCH

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DOWN 1. Poet and co-host of Buzzfeed’s “AM to DM” Twitter show 3. Spoken-word form of poetry often performed in competitions 5. Poem with syllable count of 5, 7, 5 6. Namesake of Philadelphia bridge 8. Fourteen-line poem associated with William Shakespeare 10. Temple’s first Presidential Fellow and first poet laureate of Philadelphia 12. Poem spelling out a word

ACROSS 2. Non-metrical, non-rhyming poem 4. Author of “The Bell Jar” 7. Modernist poet and source of the icebox-plum meme 9. Leader in Harlem Renaissance movement 11. Division of four or more lines sometimes with a fixed length, meter or rhyming scheme

Answers from Tuesday, March 26: 1.Harry Kalas, 2. Tampa Bay Rays, 3. Mike Schmidt, 4. Charlie Manuel, 5. Chase Utley, 6. Bryce Harper, 7. Quakers, 8. Connie Mack, 9. Veterans, 10. Pete Rose, 11. Brad Lidge, 12. Richie Ashburn.

@TheTempleNews

features@temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 18

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

STAFF

The two-man team behind Temple’s trash pick-up Two men, who are responsible for collecting all of Main Campus’ trash, discuss their job and how it’s changed.

BY CLAIRE WOLTERS Intersection Editor

M

ichael Williams Sr. and Lance King make up the two-man team that hauls, drives and disposes of the trash at Temple University. Their day begins at 6 a.m. when they rev up the trash truck and ends around 3 p.m., or whenever the last of the mess has been dealt with.

The two are drivers for Temple’s Service Operations Department, a team of about 13 workers who manage everything from garbage disposal to transportation of students and athletic teams.

Williams and King do a little of each task, but primarily collect trash.

Each week, the men collect approximately 15 tons of trash from dumpsters stationed behind university buildings on Main Campus, Temple University Hospital and Ambler Campus, said William Majzik, the assistant facilities manager.

Dumpsters hook on the back of the truck while tipsters are manually tipped in.

The crew is not legally responsible for cleaning up student residences and homes in the area around Main Campus, which falls outside of their jurisdiction. But due to the large accumulation of waste from college parties or moveout days, the crew is sometimes called upon by Temple Police to also sweep up “Temple-affiliated neighborhood trash,” Majzik said.

One of the biggest obstacles the crew faces is rodents, said Majzik, who has worked at Temple for 20 years. Back in the early 2000s, this meant mice. Now, “rodents” encapsulate a larger range of creatures, including hungry rats that crawl in and curl up in the back of the truck, he said.

“You really can’t exterminate a trash intersection@temple-news.com

CLAIRE WOLTERS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Michael Williams Sr., one of the two main drivers for Temple’s Service Operations Department, steps onto a trash truck on Monday.

truck,” Majzik added. “They can come from anywhere.”

When dealing with rats, William Parker, who worked as a driver this fall, said, “We run.”

“Fast,” added Christopher Rhone, his former partner.

Parker recently advanced to a general mechanic position at Temple after working in the Service Operations Department for 17 years, and Rhone is taking a medical leave, Majzik said.

Williams and King quickly transitioned to fill Parker’s and Rhone’s shoes.

King has worked at Temple for 13 years and has been driving the trash truck for five weeks, while Williams has worked at Temple for 20 years, spending his time in Grounds Maintenance.

“Work is work,” Williams said. “It’s a little dirtier, that’s about it.”

Both men grew up in Philadelphia — Williams in North Philadelphia and King in West Philadelphia — and said the streets used to be much cleaner.

“When I was growing up, Philly

was clean,” Williams said. “People took more pride in the front of their homes. ...Nowadays, not so much.”

Williams’ neighbors swept their front steps with brooms every Saturday morning, he added.

Octavius Green Jr., a truck driver in the Service Operations Department and president of the Brotherhood of University Employees 612, added students who don’t follow the city’s trash collection schedule or discard mattresses during move-out days contribute to this heightened trash accumulation.

“If you take a walk up 16th Street off of Cecil B. Moore on any given nontrash day, it looks like a war zone,” Green said.

BUE 612 is a worker’s union that advocates for fair wages and working conditions of the crew. It is one of the oldest unions at Temple, starting in the 1950s, Green said.

The children of union members receive free tuition at Temple.

For Williams — who has a daughter

graduating in May and a son starting as a freshman in the fall — this was played a major role in his decision to work at Temple. While it was not a deciding factor for King, it is something he is very appreciative of now, King said.

“It’s free,” King added. “I can’t stress that enough.”

The union is successful because the members advocate for each other, the men said.

“If you make a complaint, in years past, it might have fallen on deaf ears,” Green said. “With us, it’s not going to fall on deaf ears.”

Williams and King’s workplace fosters a brotherhood and community of its own. In addition to advocating for each other through their union, some of the men live in the same neighborhoods and know each other’s families.

“This department is like a closed fist,” Williams said. clairewolters@temple.edu @ClaireWolters

temple-news.com

INTERSECTION PAGE 19

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

THE ESSAYIST

North Philly: Feeling foreign in my hometown A student from North Philadelphia like Drexel University and the Universi- over a course of nearly two decades, North Philadelphia and to try to elimiwrites about how other students ty of Pennsylvania in wealthier areas of started improving — I feel enraged and nate the stereotypes and negativity about Philadelphia, and in comparison, I felt disappointed when students do not care the people here. disrespect her home.

BY KATHY CHAN For The Temple News All throughout my life, I attended schools in North Philadelphia.

I grew up in the city’s Olney section, which is closer to Cheltenham than it is to Center City, and attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls before coming to Temple University.

But the North Philadelphia that I currently live in, the one I witness from the window of my off-campus apartment, is a different North Philadelphia than the one I grew up in.

Not only did I grow up in a different area of North Philadelphia geographically, but the lifestyle of my community was different. It was more residential, less congested and cleaner than the area surrounding Temple.

I grew up in a North Philadelphia where children happily played outside and families lounged on their porches to feel the breeze. Although the people, my family included, were not financially well off, we joined together to throw neighborhood block parties and schedule routine days to clean the streets. In my North Philadelphia, I saw friendly interaction.

Where I live now, I don’t see young children playing outside with each other.

I don’t see happy families on their porches, and I don’t see many block parties. I definitely don’t see neighborly interactions, especially among college students.

My high school peers at the Philadelphia High School for Girls attended colleges like Penn State and Villanova University outside of the city, or schools

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ashamed of going to Temple. Additionally, my family couldn’t afford for me to live in a residence hall on campus, so I felt disconnected from college life.

I felt outcast because of my race, as well. All of my previous schools had been predominantly African American, Latinx and Asian-American. Before I set foot on Temple’s campus, I had never had a full conversation with a white person.

This unfamiliarity made my “getting used to college” phase extend for a long time. I was the only Asian person in my freshman orientation group and my classroom demographics were the same.

As a film major, I felt completely excluded from other students because of my race. I felt intimidated, scared and alone.

I couldn’t make friends in the first two years college because I felt like I was the different one, I was the other.

At this time, my college experience didn’t seem so worthwhile.

Because of my differences, I felt like I didn’t have the autonomy to stand up for myself and for my community, which was and is disrespected by other Temple students.

Many Temple student consider themselves “Philadelphians” or “city people at heart,” but reflect ignorance in their actions.

I never cease to be disappointed by the amount of trash students leave outside after parties and warm evenings out.

When I remind people to clean up after themselves and have been faced with the response, students often blame their mess on local North Philadelphia residents.

Being from a low-income family and from this area — which has just now,

about this city.

My college ride is a lot smoother now.

I don’t feel like an outsider anymore, but I do feel responsible for educating my peers at Temple to treat North Philadelphia with respect. I make sure my new friends and loved ones are aware of the true culture, and full picture, of

I know how to interact with both sides of the community and have gained the courage to stand up for my city. chankathy@temple.edu

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INTERSECTION PAGE 20

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

STUDENT LIFE

Students struggle when commuting for education

CLAUDIA SALVATO / THE TEMPLE NEWS Tony Clark, a junior history major, stands on the platform of the Temple University Regional Rail station on March 25. Clark commutes to Temple from New Jersey.

Students who commute discuss balancing travel, time management and social aspects of college.

BY JEDIAEL PETERSON For The Temple News Like many other students who commute to class at Temple University, Veronica Perez is constantly on her feet.

Perez, a sophomore communication and social influence major, starts her day at 6:30 a.m. when she readies herself to board the Market-Frankford Line from Northeast Philadelphia, transfer to the Broad Street Line at City Hall and hopefully arrive on time to her 8 a.m. class.

Of the more than 29,000 students enrolled at Temple, only about 11,000 live on or near Main Campus, according to Temple University’s 2017-18 fact book.

Students who lived on campus at

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their university reported having a higher collegiate sense of community than those living off-campus, a 2013 study by the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth found.

Factoring in travel time is a somewhat obvious, but not always easy, obstacle students who commute to classes must navigate. The city environment provides access to trains and buses, and commuters can take advantage of the discounted SEPTA pass program available to all registered full-time students.

Because she works at Brandy Melville in Center City, Perez manages her time around both her school and work schedules, leaving room to finish lingering work. She takes five classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“Knowing I was going to commute, [I] didn’t want to spend a long time commuting for one or two classes,” she said.

But some students experience frustration with the length of their com-

mutes. This takes away from the time they can be engaged with the Temple community and their hometown communities.

Nicholas Romano, a freshman community development major, rides both the trolley and train in his commute to Temple from Center City. While his time on public transportation is about 15 minutes, his total commute is closer to 40 minutes when he factors in walking to and from stations and classes, he said.

Mariama Sarr, a sophomore criminal justice major who commutes from Northeast Philly, said her only issue with being a commuter is how unreliable the busses and trains are.

“You sometimes miss the bus or the train and then you’re late for class,” Sarr said. “Your whole day is ruined.”

Tony Clark, a junior history major, commutes to Temple from Yardley, Pennsylvania, which is about an hour train ride. In Clark’s experience, the Re-

gional Rail schedule can be inconsistent, he said. The Regional Rail typically runs once per hour, outside of morning and evening rush hours, for the line he takes, so missing a train can mess up his whole day, Clark added.

He also balances a job on top of his schoolwork and said convenience and affordability factored into his decision to commute.

“I decided to commute because it was easier to stay at home with my parents due to how short the commute is,” Clark said.

For Perez, happiness in her home environment played a large role in her decision to commute.

“A big part of why I decided to commute was because I’m comfortable with my situation at home,” Perez said.

This could be different for someone living in a packed home with many siblings, she added.

Romano did not see commuting as an obstacle in his social life.

“I don’t think it is an impediment to my social life,” Romano said. “It’s hard sometimes, but I still make the time and it’s definitely manageable for me.”

However, the students said there were ways the university could better support them as members of the Temple community.

For Perez, despite having room to relax at home, there is a need for more hang-out spaces for commuters on Main Campus. The commuter lounge on the corner of Berks and Warnock streets, which opened in 2015, isn’t as convenient as it’s supposed to be, she added.

It is a small space, gets crowded during certain busy hours and lacks outlets to charge electronics, Perez said.

“It’s a little small and the seating is uncomfortable,” Perez said. “I would like to see Temple creating more spaces on campus for commuters.” jediael.peterson@temple.edu

temple-news.com

SPORTS PAGE 21

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

FOOTBALL

Experienced kickers to face off for starting spot

@TTN_Sports @TheTempleNews

michael.zingrone@temple.edu @mjzingrone

Aaron Boumerhi

Will Mobley

88.2% 73.3% 65.2%

18 20

18 20

20

17

33.3%

16

Aaron Boumerhi is trying to earn his job back.

The redshirt-junior kicker took 23 of Temple’s 28 field-goal attempts and all of the kickoffs in 2017, but he spent most of 2018 watching from the sideline with a hip injury. Boumerhi is still recovering but is expected to be ready for summer practice and a competition with redshirt-sophomore Will Mobley, who replaced him last season, special teams coordinator Ed Foley said.

Boumerhi is still recovering from a hip injury that sidelined him after two games last season but is expected to be ready for summer practice, special teams coordinator Ed Foley said.

Mobley impressed while replacing Boumerhi for the final 12 games. Mobley went 11-for-15 on field goal attempts and made a 40-yard field goal to help secure the Owls’ important victory against Houston last season.

Mobley and Boumerhi, the only kickers on the Owls’ roster, are both experienced and have had success, Foley said. Boumerhi made a combined 30 field goals in his first two seasons at Temple. He went 1-for-3 last year before sitting out with the injury.

Boumerhi has made 72.1 percent of his career field goal attempts, while Mobley owns a 73.3 conversion percentage.

Foley is excited to see Boumerhi and Mobley compete for the starting kicker job in the summer.

“What a great problem to have, is to have two guys that can put the ball through the pipe,” Foley said. “We’ll go out there in summer camp, let those guys go out there and compete. I think that will make them both better.”

Last season was a learning expe-

his last seven field goal attempts, including a 3-for-3 performance in the last game of the regular season against Connecticut.

“Early on, I definitely was a little nervous,” Mobley said. “And as time went on, I got more comfortable. So I think it was a good season overall. I’m happy with how it did but I want to get better and improve often, especially this year.”

Filling the role as a starting kicker was “a dream come true,” Mobley added. But, Mobley does not want to get complacent.

He aims to build off his performance by trying different kicking techniques to increase his field-goal range and become more accurate. So far this spring, Mobley has been “excellent,” Foley said.

“His work ethic is tremendous,” Foley added. “His accuracy is very good.

He has good times he gets the ball up in the air, and he gets it fast. And he has a way just to make it happen.”

“Knowing that I proved that I can do it on the field and then taking it into this year trying to expand off of that,” Mobley said. “My confidence is higher and just having experience is something good to rely on and lean back on.”

Mobley is fully aware he and Boumerhi will have a position battle come summertime, but he is focusing on staying in the moment, he said.

“At the other day, were teammates so were just trying to help each other get better,” Mobley added. “But ultimately, I want to do the best that I can so I can have the position. But, I just want to take it one day at a time and focus on improving myself and getting better.

20

BY MICHAEL ZINGRONE Co-Sports Editor

After Aaron Boumerhi’s hip injury in 2018, Will Mobley went 11-for-15 on field goal attempts

Field goal percentage

Austin Boumerhi will battle Will rience for Mobley, he said. Mobley Mobley for the starting kicker missed two of his first four attempts, but he finished the year making six of spot.

IAN WALKER / THE TEMPLE NEWS

DYLAN LONG / THE TEMPLE NEWS Redshirt sophomore kicker Will Mobley kicks a field goal during the Owls’ practice at Chodoff Field on Thursday.

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SPORTS PAGE 22

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

GYMNASTICS

Three gymnasts look to impress on regional stage

MICHAEL NGUYEN / THE TEMPLE NEWS India Anderson competes during her junior season at a meet against University of Maryland and Penn at McGonigle Hall on March 9, 2018.

The gymnasts will compete in tively. Castrence will represent Temple nerves down will help because it is a big competition…and it can get hectic,” Anone event each, including on the in the vault competition.

Anderson will compete against three derson said. floor, balance beam and vault other specialists in the floor exercise, The three teammates learned they competitions.

BY TAYLOR SNYDER & MICHAEL ZINGRONE For The Temple News The last time Temple University women’s gymnastics had three athletes qualify for the NCAA Regional meet was 1997.

More than 20 years later, Temple will send senior captain India Anderson, sophomore Monica Servidio and freshman Ariana Castrence to the NCAA Regionals hosted by the University of Georgia on Friday.

Anderson and Servidio made history by becoming the first Temple gymnasts to individually qualify for the floor exercise and balance beam events, respec-

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while Servidio is one of three gymnasts competing in the balance beam event.

Castrence will battle five other athletes on vault.

The trio is confident it can perform well enough to advance to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas on April 19 and 20, Castrence said. Because Temple isn’t in the team competition, if Anderson, Servidio or Castrence win their events, they’ll advance to compete in Texas.

The Owls’ goal for Friday is to have fun, each gymnast said. Sending three gymnasts to Georgia will simulate enough of a team atmosphere so they can perform better, Anderson said.

“Having all three of us on the floor just jumping around to keep each other’s

qualified for the competition on March 25, two days after Temple won the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship in Ithaca, New York.

Anderson, Servidio and Castrence earned bids after taking home individual awards from the ECAC championship meet hosted by Cornell University. Servidio won the beam event on March 23 and received ECAC Co-Gymnast of the Year honors, while Anderson won Specialist of the Year. Castrence was recognized as the ECAC’s best freshman by winning the Rookie of the Year award.

Coach Josh Nilson’s coaching style helped Temple have success this season, Servidio said. Nilson personalized workouts for individual athletes, something the Owls didn’t experience in the past.

Compared to team workouts, personal workouts make it easier for athletes to stay healthy, Servidio added.

Servidio and other Owls battled injuries toward the end of last season because intense team workouts can take a toll on athletes’ bodies, Servidio said.

This season, Servidio competed as an all-around gymnast in 12 of 13 meets and tied her personal-best 9.9 beam score at the ECAC championships.

“She needed to do those individual assignments to get her to where she is today,” Anderson said. “So I think that was the difference, everyone to individual assignments and caring for each and every single player.”

Castrence didn’t expect to make the NCAA Regionals but believes her consistency helped her have a successful freshman season. She has only scored below 9.6 on the vault once this season and posted a personal-best 9.875 vault score at a meet hosted by Brown University on March 17.

“I just kept on doing what I do,” Castrence said. “Just trying to stay consistent and keeping my body where it should be, and I think that carried throughout the season.”

Nilson and the competing gymnasts expects his young athletes to continue to represent Temple every season from now on.

“Everyone having the same mindset of wanting to win and wanting to be there for each other and having a positive mindset,…that’s real,” Anderson added. “I believe in these girls and this coaching staff to get them there every year.”

Ahead of Friday’s meet, Servidio doesn’t think it is too soon to set goals for next season.

“Next year, we’re all going to go together as a team,” Servidio said. sports@temple-news.com @TTNSports

temple-news.com

SPORTS PAGE 23

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

LACROSSE

Becoming a coach improves junior’s on-field play Attacker and midfielder Olivia while away from Temple.

Being a youth coach helps her view Thompson uses coaching younger players as a way to the game differently when she’s playing in college, Thompson said. She can rereflect on her game.

BY JAY NEEMEYER Women’s Lacrosse Beat Reporter While growing up, Olivia Thompson looked up to collegiate women’s lacrosse players who coached her during her time with the Check-Hers Elite Lacrosse Club.

After her freshman season at Temple University, Thompson knew she wanted to coach with her youth club team based in Carroll County, Maryland.

The junior attacker and midfielder wanted to be a role model to girls playing lacrosse while also honing her skills

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 NEW ERA

81-70 loss to Belmont University in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament on March 19 in Dayton, Ohio.

Chaney, Dunphy and former Owls players will be in attendance to watch McKie to introduced as the Owls’ coach at a press conference at 2:30 p.m.

McKie — who played on three NCAA Tournament teams during his Temple career, including the 1992-93 Elite Eight squad — is tasked with returning the Owls to their past as a consistent tournament contender. The Owls won two NCAA Tournament games in Dunphy’s tenure and last appeared in the Elite Eight in 2001.

McKie joined Dunphy’s staff and returned to his alma mater as an assistant back in August 2014. After the 2017-18 season, Temple promoted McKie from assistant coach to associate head coach and announced he’d replace Dunphy following the 2018-19 season.

@TTN_Sports @TheTempleNews

flect on her own game by correcting the mistakes of younger athletes and better understands the importance of communication with her teammates through her experience coaching.

Since becoming a coach, Thompson has gradually increased her production.

Thompson scored 13 goals in 18 games during her first season and followed that with an 18-goal sophomore year. This year, Thompson is second on the team with 16 goals in 11 games. “[Coaching] makes me think about things,” Thompson said. “So it points things out that I don’t even think about sometimes, just because I’m seeing from the opposite set of eyes.”

Last summer, Thompson was the

assistant coach of the Check-Hers Elite 2024 Black Team, which is made up of girls trying to play Division I lacrosse following their 2024 high school graduation.

Thompson shows great “energy” and brings a calming presence as a coach, said Jess Ohneiser, who coached the 2024 Black Team and is on Check-Hers Elite Board of Directors.

Those traits were on display with Thompson and Ohneiser coached the team to a tournament win this summer, Ohneiser added.

“That was the first time our little team, and obviously her and I coaching together, have ever won the whole thing,” Ohneiser said. “It was a pretty close, stressful championship game, and she was just great on the sidelines with her energy and also just keeping the girls calm and focused.”

Thompson primarily worked with the attackers and has an ability to encourage the players, Ohneiser said.

“She wears the ‘player hat’ more than the ‘coaching hat’,” she added. “In a way, it’s somewhat helpful because she understands the mentality of the girls on the field, and she knows what it’s like to succeed and fail.”

Thompson plans to return to the 2024 Black Team this summer.

“I definitely have started to develop relationships, especially with the girls and other staff members there,” Thompson said. “Even though it’s just a summer thing, it’s nice being able to actually have a relationship with the girls, and you’re not just their coach.”

“Coaching is for me because I enjoy being around the game of basketball and sharing the game and my experiences with the guys,” McKie said before the season. “College coaching never really crossed my mind, but it was an opportunity that presented itself years ago and here I am.”

Temple has two players committed to join McKie’s squad next season. Damian Dunn, a senior guard at Meadowcreek High School in Georgia, signed his National Letter of Intent in November.

Dunn averaged 12.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game in his final high school season.

Josh Pierre-Louis, the brother of sophomore guard Nate Pierre-Louis, verbally committed to Temple on Friday after decommitting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Josh Pierre-Louis can’t sign a National Letter of Intent until the regular signing period begins on April 17. Josh Pierre-Louis averaged 14.2 points and 3.4 assists per game as a senior.

McKie could still add another recruit or transfer to the roster.

Temple will lose point guard Shizz Alston Jr., who tied for first in the American Athletic Conference in scoring as a senior. But the Owls will still have junior guard Quinton Rose and Nate Pierre-Louis, who both averaged more than 13 points per game.

“We have to build the chemistry and everything with our returning players,” junior guard Alani Moore II said on March 17. “That’s going to be very key for us. McKie has been talking with us about getting us ready for next year following off of Dunphy.”

Though Dunphy is finished coaching at Temple, McKie believes he will still rely heavily on his former colleague and mentor, he said.

“I think [Dunphy is] always going to be a resource for me,” McKie added.

“He’s a ‘Hall of Fame’ coach. I’ve learned a great deal from him, just being here at this program, just sitting and watching him work day to day.”

McKie has made his mark on Philadelphia basketball on the high school, college and professional levels.

He starred at Simon Gratz High School in Nicetown before going to Temple. McKie started 92 games, averaging 17.9 points per game while leading Temple to 60 wins from 1991-94.

In 1993, McKie was named Atlantic 10 Conference and Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year, averaging a team and conference-best 20.6 points per game.

McKie — the 17th pick in the 1994 NBA Draft — came back to Philadelphia during the 1997-98 season in a trade to the 76ers. Following his playing career, McKie spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the 76ers before returning to Temple.

President Richard Englert and Athletic Director Patrick Kraft will introduce McKie, who will become Temple’s fifth coach since 1952.

jay.neemeyer@temple.edu @neemeyer_j

sam.neumann@temple.edu @SamNeu_

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SPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

PAGE 24

PASSING THE TORCH

Aaron McKie will be officially will both gather at midcourt at McGoniintroduced as the Owls’ new gle Hall on Tuesday to pass the torch to Aaron McKie. coach on Tuesday.

I

BY SAM NEUMANN Co-Sports Editor

t’s not often that three Philadelphia college basketball icons are in the same room. And it’s even less frequent for all three to be at center court.

But John Chaney and Fran Dunphy

Temple University will officially announce McKie as its next men’s basketball coach on Tuesday afternoon at center court of McGonigle Hall, where McKie played college basketball from 1991-94 for Temple.

McKie will replace Dunphy, whose 13-year career at Temple ended with an

NEW ERA | PAGE 23

JUSTIN OAKES / THE TEMPLE NEWS Then-associate head coach Aaron McKie looks toward the court during the Owls’ 78-73 win against Central Florida at the Liacouras Center on March 9.

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