VOL. 96 ISSUE 3
temple-news.com @thetemplenews
A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
Students fight on-campus sexual assault Temple Student Government kicked off its Sexual Assault Prevention Week with Pa. Lt. Gov. Michael Stack. BY AMANDA LIEN Copy Editor
T
emple Student Government began hosting on-campus events on Monday for its Sexual Assault Prevention Week, an initiative that was part of the administration’s platform last spring. TSG, along with the Wellness Resource Center and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, has coordinated a series of events on Main Campus, including selfdefense and bystander intervention workshops and a panel with
representatives from different Temple resource offices. Sexual Assault Prevention Week began on Monday when TSG hosted an event inviting students to sign an “It’s On Us” poster against sexual assault in the Founder’s Garden. TSG worked with Tom Johnson, the assistant director of the WRC, and George Kenney, the senior adviser to the president for government affairs, to bring Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Michael Stack to campus for the hour-long event. “One of the things about sexual assault is sometimes, for whatever reason, people just can’t speak up,” Stack told The Temple News. “Only when you have your peers involved are you going to be able to solve this problem. It’s crucial and important, and Temple kids are doing it right.” Last week, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf spoke at an It’s On Us
Students who wish to report an act of sexual misconduct must go through the Title IX Office.
press conference in Harrisburg, announcing new legislation to help survivors of sexual assault report to universities. Student Body President Tyrell Mann-Barnes also gave a speech. Valerie Harrison, senior adviser to the president for compliance, and Andrea Seiss, Temple’s Title IX coordinator, said TSG approached their offices about assisting with the week of events. The EOC office will sponsor giveaways at Friday’s football game and throughout the week. Seiss will also sit on Wednesday’s resource panel. Women Organized Against Rape, Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center, operates a satellite office on Main Campus. WOAR will have a representative on the resource panel but was not involved in the planning
Temple Student Government is hosting a Sexual Assault Prevention Week. But if students are sexually assaulted, where do they go, and what protections do they have?
PRE VE N T ION PAG E 6
T I T L E I X PAG E 6
BY LAURA SMYTHE For The Temple News
WHAT IS TITLE IX? Title IX is a piece of legislation that aims to prevent gender discrimination in education. Passed in 1972 to ensure female university faculty were given the same opportunities and compensation as their male coworkers, it set the stage for gender equality in all aspects of education. Under Title IX, opportunities for scholarships, education and athletics must be equitable for male and female students.
Stonewall revisited through theater “Hit the Wall” premieres at Temple Theaters this week. BY NATASHA CLAUDIO For The Temple News Early morning on June 28, 1969, chaos broke out at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. When police raided the Greenwich Village nightclub, a popular spot for members of the LGBTQ community, protests ensued. The sequence of events would later be known as the Stonewall Riots — a landmark event in LGBTQ history. Ike Holter, a 29-year-old African-American playwright, recreated the Stonewall Riots in his 2012 play “Hit The Wall,”
a production set to premiere at Randall Theater from Wednesday to Sept. 24. Temple Theaters is one of the first universities to obtain the rights to the show, which was debuted by the Chicago theater collective “The Inconvenience.” For weeks, students have rehearsed daily to deliver a performance that can “tell stories to change the world, or to challenge it,” said Brandon McShaffrey, the director of the show and an assistant theater professor. The show follows the storylines of 10 characters in New York City. Once the Stonewall Riots unfold, the characters’ paths intertwine. While fueled by historical events, the characters themselves are fictitious, creating a sense of “imagined realism,” said sophomore
STONEWALL PAGE 12
SYDNEY SCHAEFER / THE TEMPLE NEWS Sophomore kicker Aaron Boumerhi kicks a field goal during the Owls’ home opener against Villanova on Saturday.
KICKER DUO IS ‘WEAPON’ IN FIRST WIN Sophomore Aaron Boumerhi hit a career-long field goal to win Saturday’s game against Villanova. BY TOM IGNUDO Assistant Sports Editor
JOCELYN BURNS / THE TEMPLE NEWS Senior musical theater major Max Ferguson (left) and junior theater major Paul Herald show off their acting skills in a rehearsal of “Hit the Wall” at Tomlinson Theater.
Ed Foley walked toward Austin Jones and Aaron Boumerhi after Villanova tied the score late in the fourth quarter. “[Foley] looked at Austin and was like, ‘No matter what the distance is, be ready. You guys are going to have to win this game for us,’” Boumerhi said. Boumerhi missed a 48-yard field goal attempt earlier in the game. The sophomore got the nod for a 49-yard field goal attempt with the game on the line. He was nervous, but encouragement from Jones and Foley helped Boumerhi boot the career-long kick through the uprights to give Temple a 16-13 victory. Temple used both Jones and Boumerhi in field-goal situations against Villanova. Jones, a senior, went 1-for-1, while Boumerhi went 2-for-3. The duo combined for 10 points in the contest. “There was no doubt that we
were going to kick the field goal if we were within the range, and it was well within the range,” coach Geoff Collins said. “[Boumerhi’s] got a strong leg. We’re confident with Austin, confident with [Boumerhi], but just the distance today [Boumerhi] had the leg for that kick.”
There was no doubt that we were going to kick the field goal if we were within the range. GEOFF COLLINS COACH
When Temple started its drive with three minutes and 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jones and Boumerhi started to practice field goals on the sideline. Redshirt-junior wideout Ventell Bryant made a one-
handed catch for a 29-yard gain to set up Temple in Villanova territory. The Owls picked up one more first down because of a defensive holding penalty on Villanova. As Jones and Boumerhi noticed the field goal attempt was going to be from a longer distance, Boumerhi began to take more practice kicks than Jones, Boumerhi said. Though Jones and Boumerhi battle each other for field goal tries in games, Boumerhi said the two have a camaraderie. “[ Jones] helps downplay the situation a lot for me, because sometimes there’s a game-winning kick and their head goes all crazy,” Boumerhi said. “We both do a really good job of coaching each other in that sense. We do a really good job of watching each other’s technique and making sure it’s
K I C K ERS PAG E 13
NEWS | PAGES 2-3, 6
OPINION | PAGES 4-5
FEATURES | PAGES 7-12
SPORTS | PAGES 13-16
The new STAR Complex includes an educational apartment for physical and occupational therapy students. Read more on Page 2.
Two columnists argue their opposing views on affirmative action. Read more on Page 5.
An exhibit at the Barnes Foundation pays tribute to the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club. Read more on Page 7.
The football team wants a more balanced offense led by an established run game in the coming weeks. Read more on Page 16.