Violent Statistics
Transcripción
Violent Statistics
temple-news.com VOL. 90 ISS. 6 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Law students observe Wall Street protests during weekend of arrests The NYC occupation is influencing similar Philadelphia plans for action by citizens. KATE KELLY The Temple News While most students celebrating the start of the weekend or preparing for Temple’s football game, several Temple law students were boarding a bus to serve as legal observers to the Occupy Wall Street rallies on Friday, Sept. 30. Protesters set up tents in Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan on Sept. 17, and held dem- onstrations in the nearby financial district. Operating under the name Occupy Wall Street, the movement aims to end the corrupt economic practices by corporations in the United States and financial inequality. Often criticized as lacking a focused message, participants tote signs that address issues ranging from wealth disparity to inadequate health care. “Nobody knows what it’s about,” said senior social work major Adam Macguire. “People are just dissatisfied with the current situation that they’re living in. There isn’t really a set of demands. It seems like it’s a really big movement and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever come across because there’s not a real target.” Second-year law student Diane Akerman said she was struck by the diversity of the participants and the organization of occupation. “There were all kinds of people there, which I always think is really great to see,” Akerman said. “It was also really calm and really well-organized. At the actual camp they have set up in Zuccotti Park, they had a full library and full media center and a cafeteria area. People in the neighborhood have been donating food to [the occupiers]. It was really kind of func- OCCUPY PAGE 2 ANGELO FICHERA TTN Protestors wield signs on a number of issues while staking out in New York City on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Occupy Wall Street protests started Sept. 17 and challenge wealth disparity. Violent Statistics Temple’s safety report arrives in time for the October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 7 rapes were reported in 2010 by Temple in its annual safety report. *According to 2011 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report 1 in 5 young women have been sexually assaulted while in college. *According to the U.S. Department of Justice Young women ages 16-24 struggle with the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault. *According to the Center for Disease Control OPINION NEIGHBORLY DEBATE, p.4 Joel Faltermayer discusses the need for Temple to assume responsibility for its student living near Main Campus. LIVING COMING OUT p.17 In honor of National Coming Out Week, students share personal memoirs about their experiences within the GLBT community. A&E GLBT READS, p.9 Giovanni’s Room, a gay and lesbian bookstore in Center City, has provided a community center for GLBT people SPORTS FOOTBALL FUMBLES, p. 20 The Owls turned the ball over four times in their 36-13 loss to Toledo on Saturday. BECKY KERNER MATTHEW PETRILLO The Temple News Gabrielle Wetzel smiled in embarrassment when she remembered what happened during her first few weeks at college last year. “I chose to go to a shady party,” the sophomore advertising major said. Wetzel said she was slightly intoxicated when she headed to the restroom at a party and almost tripped over a guy’s shoes. “I don’t remember everything. It was really quick. He just grabbed me, grabbed me by my shoulders, he put me up against the wall. My girlfriends saw what happened and came over. They told him to go [leave],” she said. Wetzel said she doesn’t consider being sexually violated, but said the event could have escalated. For one in five young women in college, it has. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that one in five women will be sexually assaulted during their college years. Young women ages 16-24 experience the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault, according to the Center for Disease Control. October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Clery Disclosure of Campus Vice President Joe Biden has Security Policy and Campus acted as a key figure in leading Crime Statistics Act, does not the Violence Against Women necessarily include all crimes Act, which is expected to be against Temple students. renewed this year. Lawmakers The university includes inare hoping to extend protections formation in the report to meet to curb sexual violence. Biden the standards of the U.S. Departhas also launched a social me- ment of Education Handbook dia campaign, 1is2many, to in- under the Clery Act. According crease student awareness. to the handbook, Temple “must Last disclose statistics for month, reported Clery crimes Biden also that occur: (1) on released a campus, (2) on public video mesproperty within or imsage, callmediately adjacent to ing on colthe campus, and (3) lege-age in or on non-campus people nabuildings or property tionwide to that your institution help bring owns or controls.” an end to Because of the violence Kiara Washington / Clery Act, off-campus against heart peer educator residences are not inwomen. cluded. Temple’s 2011 Annual SeCampus Safety Services’ curity and Fire Safety Report daily crime log online provides was released last week, provid- a broader scope than the annual ing insight into sexual assault report because it is based on a and crime statistics on the uni- geographic area not limited to Clery reportable crimes, but versity’s campuses. According to the report, rather all criminal incidents reMain Campus saw three forc- ported to Campus Safety Serible rapes “on campus” and four vices, Charlie Leone, deputy “off-campus” in 2010. In 2009, director of CSS said. But Congress is taking two “on campus” rapes were reported and no reports were measures to quell college sexual violence. It introduced the made “off campus.” But the report, produced Campus Sexual Violence Elimiin compliance with the Jeanne nation Act last spring in an ef- “There’s a stigma attached to sexual violence, [victims] may think it’s their fault.” fort to update the Clery Act. The revisions would allow colleges and universities to respond more effectively to campus sexual violence, but is still being tabled. Still, Temple maintains a no-tolerance sexual assault policy. “I think it’s disgusting and there shouldn’t be any act of sexual violence on campus,” said senior broadcast telecommunications and mass media major Kaitryn Wetzel. “If you’re put [in] the position where you think you need to be violent in order to make sexual advances toward them, you are a dirty, nasty pig.” Students who are survivors of sexual assault can visit Health Education Awareness Resource Team, a department within the division of Student Affairs that addresses wellness and health education, to consult advisers for assistance. “There’s a stigma attached to sexual violence, they may think it’s their fault,” said Kiara Washington, a senior public health major and peer educator at HEART. “Overall, I don’t think it’s a huge problem, but I do believe that these incidents do occur.” Temple Police are attempting to combat the factors that lead to sexual assault, Leone VIOLENCE PAGE 2 Complaints about student behavior, off-campus living lead to task force Representatives from across Temple and the community will meet to mend relations. AMELIA BRUST The Temple News In light of complaints from area residents about unruly students and days after a bill was introduced into City Council that seeks to ban students from living in areas near Main Campus, a new task force to deal with community issues and concerns was created. The Community and Student Issues and Concerns Task Force was formally incepted on Sept. 28 by President Ann Weaver Hart. The committee, chaired by Dean of Students and Associ- NEWS DESK 215-204-7419 ate Vice President of Student Affairs Stephanie Ives, will address student behavior both on and off Main Campus. “Temple has really changed from a commuter school, to very much a residential campus…we estimate that 12,000 or 13,000 students live on or around campus,” Ives said. Hart asked Ives to lead the meetings, a request that Ives called “an honor.” Appointed members come from university counsel, government, community and public affairs, Campus Safety, Student Affairs (Student Activities, Dean of Students, Housing and Residential Life), athletics, community members, community realtors, and undergraduate students, according to a letter from the Executive Office of the President. Temple Student Govern- ment will appoint student representatives to the committee, one from TSG, and one nonaffiliated student. According to Hart’s letter, the force is charged with developing recommendations for a comprehensive approach to policies, programming, services, and assessment with respect to student behavior, safety, awareness, and related concerns.” Student Body President Colin Saltry stressed the need for student input on the committee. “As much as we love the administration, they don’t live in this neighborhood,” Saltry said. KATE McCANN TTN However, Ives said that Students’ housing near Main Campus has been challenged by committee meetings will not be District Councilman Darrell Clarke in a recent bill. A task force open to the public. was created to better deal with community complaints. COMMITTEE PAGE 2 [email protected] NEWS temple-news.com PAGE 2 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 NYC protests lead to local occupation plans OCCUPY PAGE 1 ANGELO FICHERA TTN (left) / Courtesy James Clark (right) The Occupy Wall Street protest attracted crowds of people in New York to challenge wealth inequalities, among other issues. (Right) On Saturday, hundreds were arrested for occupying the Brooklyn Bridge, as Temple law students observed as bystanders. tioning as this communal camp ground.” As the occupation enters its third week, tensions in New York City between police and protestors appear to be increasing. Four days before the Temple law students made the trip to New York, a video circulated on the Internet depicting a police officer pepper spraying young women, who appeared to be protesting peacefully. This incident and several other instances of police brutality prompted the New York chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a progressive organization of legal workers, to put out a call for legal observers to come and monitor the subsequent protests. “Legal observers are sort of neutral third party observers to the protests. We’re there to observe and document what’s going on,” second-year law student James Clark said. “We were there, we saw what happened, and we’re available to write affidavits or testify to it if necessary.” “We’re there to make sure that everybody is acting the way they’re supposed to, that the police are acting appropriately and not encroaching on people’s rights as protestors, and watching the protestors to see how they’re acting with the police,” Akerman added. Akerman emphasized her neutrality and stated that the trip was an opportunity to learn more about an issue in which she is interested. “I went down as a legal observer because I wanted to learn more about what exactly was going on,” Akerman said. “Rather than jumping in and aligning myself with the protests, [I wanted to] figure out exactly what it is that’s happening.” Clark and Akerman wore green hats that identified them as legal observers and were instructed to write down everything they saw occurring during the protests. On Friday, demonstrators marched from Zuccotti Park to Task force will meet privately COMMITTEE PAGE 1 “The task force meetings are really working meetings. We will, however, engage in a larger consultative process, which could include… outreach in more public fashions,” Ives said. Ives added that she didn’t want to speculate on how the committee would incorporate public input because its members have not yet met. “But because it is important to include a larger consultative mechanism, I can definitely foresee that we would gather information and feedback in a more public context, to help us with our information gathering,” Ives said. “We could have town hall meetings, we could have focus groups, we could have individual interviews. It’s just different methods of collecting qualitative data.” Saltry suggested the best way for students to give direct input to the committee is through TSG representatives. “That’s why we’re here,” Saltry said. Senior religion major Lindsay Ward said she felt student input in the committee was a good idea to enhance communication. Ward lives in South Philly, and said she had problematic experiences with hostile neighbors. “It’s about blending cultures,” Saltry said. Saltry said TSG members discussed the task force at a monthly meeting with administrators. “The concerns that both our students and our permanent residents around the Temple campus face primarily focus on safety issues, and then, quality of life issues, such as noise in the middle of the night, trash, alcohol consumption…those are our jumpingoff points,” Ives said. The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for Oct. 11. Interim reports will be given every two weeks, beginning on Oct. 15. By Jan. 16, the final report is scheduled for submission, according to Hart’s letter. “It’s growing pains, what Temple’s going through,” Saltry said. “This won’t stop the growing pains, but we want to [resolve] the issue.” Amelia Brust can be reached at [email protected]. One Police Plaza, which they then occupied for several hours. Clark believes this march was billed as being against police brutality and characterizes the event as calm and peaceful. “[There were] no arrests that I’m aware of, [it was] a very civil affair,” Clark said. “We got to the police plaza and everybody sat down and there were some speeches and everybody walked back to the park.” This was not the case on the following day, Clark said. Clark said that when protestors mobilized Saturday afternoon, the destination of the march was unclear to many. When the group of several thousand arrived at the Brooklyn Bridge, some went up onto the pedestrian walkway and others began blocking traffic in the Brooklyn-bound roadway. Police began surrounding those on the street, some of whom tried to climb up iron supports to the pedestrian walkway to escape arrest. Reports estimate that more than 700 people were arrested during the protest. The majority of those arrested will be charged with disorderly conduct, Clark said. He went on to question the validity of those arrests, citing general confusion and lack of communication on the part of the police. “The police are saying that they warned people that if there was anyone on the roadway that they would be arrested but it’s not clear that anybody except a few people at the front of the march ever heard that announcement,” Clark said. “There’s some question as to the police’s complicity and culpability in the protestors being on the roadway in the first place.” The instances of police brutality and the recent mass arrests in New York City have inspired the formation of solidarity groups and actions in cities around the country, including Philadelphia. Occupy Philadelphia organizers held an initial planning meeting on Sept. 29 at Arch Street United Methodist Church. According to the event’s Face- book page, the meeting attracted approximately 400 people. “The meeting was more or less a group of individuals that came together from Pennsylvania who were discussing locations to occupy and what kind of committees to make for the occupation,” Macguire said. “I attended the meeting because I’d like to get active in anything that would stop the inequality of the income, wealth, education, access to healthcare, the criminal justice system [and] the dissatisfaction with the way Philadelphia operates, Pennsylvania operates, our nation operates within the globe.” The meeting was conducted in a democratic format, with every decision voted on by attendees, Macguire said. “It was very, very democratic, at times almost painfully democratic,” Macguire said. “The way the meeting was held was different than anything I’ve ever been to before. I was really curious and that’s why I went but I may have been even more confused after the meeting on what the objective was.” The group will meet again tonight, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Arch Street United Methodist Church to vote on a state-owned location to occupy, as well as a date and time for the occupation to begin. Despite increasing national interest and the emergent solidarity groups, Akerman said the movement has been marked by a lack of coverage by the mainstream media. “It’s been really bizarre to watch the media ignore it,” Akerman said. “It’s really strange to have seen it and then know that it’s just not being talked about it at all because it did feel like there was something really going on. There were a lot of people there and I wonder how long it can go on being ignored.” Kate Kelly can be reached at [email protected]. Efforts seek to end violence against women VIOLENCE PAGE 1 said. “A lot of our sexual assault stems from drugs and alcohol,” Leone said. “That is one of the elements in the crime of rape. If someone is totally intoxicated and you have sex with them, you’ll be charged with rape because they’re not able to make decisions.” Washington suggested students should report sexual violence immediately, through campus safety or counseling services. Temple provides resources to support sexual assault survivors. However, there is a difference between formal and informal procedures. Informal complaints to a university administrator or faculty member are directed to the Sexual Assault Counseling and Education coordinator, who can provide counseling and other services. If a survivor chooses to file charges, he or she must submit a formal complaint with Campus Safety Services or the Philadelphia Police Department. “Imagine if it were a stranger who forced sex upon you and you had to talk to five or six other strangers about what happened,” Leone said. “It’s very difficult so we try to use a lot of sensitivity.” Rape and sexual assault are notorious for going underreported, however, most instances of sexual assault on campus stem from an acquaintance of the victim. That makes it easier to catch the attacker, but not easier for victims to report the incident. “Regardless of scenario, we treat it all the same,” Leone said. “If someone forces sex on someone, whether it’s an acquaintance or a stranger, we still do the same process. We really want to bring this person to justice as quickly as possible.” For Temple student Tatianna Gratten, violence ensued when, after a day of drinking, her 27-year-old ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Allen Batten, forced her down and repeatedly punched her in the throat and head, according to the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa. While Gratten survived the attack, her psychological and physical injuries led her to miss some of her Fall 2010 coursework. She failed two classes and eventually lost her financial aid, reports state. Gratten sued her boyfriend for the financial losses, and won. A judge ordered Batten to reimburse her for her lost money. In total, a judge ordered Batten to pay $4,733 to Grattan for two of her courses and for financial aid lost, and $2,905 to the Pennsylvania Crime Victim’s fund for her medical expenses. Sexual abuse doesn’t just affect survivors, but also drains the economy. Intimate partner violence cost more than $8 billion in 2003, according to the CDC. About 75 percent of domestic violence shelters around the country have seen an increase in the number of women seeking assistance since the recession began in September 2008, according to the nonprofit Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation. Abusers act out on victims for a slew of reasons, but “economic hardship does not cause domestic violence,” said Peg Dierkers, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “It is a pattern of coercive power and control.” She said other conditions going along with the economic recession like job loss, being at home more and an increased loss of control cause abusers to beat more frequently and often more severely. “It’s one of the most complicated crimes that we investigate,” said Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Patricia Giorgio-Fox. She said homicides due to sexual violence are rare to college-aged students, but do happen. This time last year, the city had a total of 22 domestic homicides. For the first eight months of 2011, that number stands at 18. Giorgio-Fox attributes the decrease to a new initiative that started last January. Philadelphia Police teamed with Women Against Abuse, the Women’s Law Project, the District Attorney’s office and a University of Pennsylvania psychologist to tackle the trend, Giorgio-Fox said. Giorgio-Fox said the new program is working, but to ultimately decrease numbers, victims of sexual assault need to report any abuse. “We can offer as much advice and counseling and help and alternatives as possible. But until the victim decides it’s time, it’s very difficult to correct that kind of behavior,” she said. Although men also fall victim to sexual crimes, women makeup the majority of statistics. According to the 2010 National Crime Victimization Survey, 15,020 men were victims of rape compared to 169,370 women. “There is no such thing as an innocent bystander when it comes to the abuse of a woman,” Biden said in his recent video message. “Assault is assault. Rape is rape. And it’s a crime.” Becky Kerner and Matt Petrillo can be reached at [email protected]. CORRECTIONS The Temple News strives to be a newspaper of record by printing factually correct and balanced articles. 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 Brian Dzenis at [email protected] or 215.204.6737. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 NEWS PAGE 3 DADT repeal changes policy, not attitudes The military’s policy that banned gays and lesbians from serving openly was repealed. JOSUE MERCADO The Temple News After 18 years, the military’s controversial Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy was repealed on Sept. 20. The policy, which banned gays and lesbians from openly serving in the United States military, was responsible for the discharging of more than 13,000 members of the armed forces for coming out or for being outed while serving since its inception. Temple’s ROTC program operates under military policies and, therefore, was subject to the restrictions on serving openly that were enforced under DADT. Lieutenant Colonel James P. Castelli, a professor of military science, said the implementation of the repeal is “not a difficult change for the soldiers on the ground” and that it was too early to tell if it would affect recruitment for the program. Castelli added that “today’s military is more trained than before.” “[The] army is very good at promoting diversity,” Castelli said. “The repeal of DADT is an example of the army’s efficiency.” Under former President Bill Clinton’s administration, DADT was enacted in 1993 as a compromise with the republican members of Congress to allow gay and lesbian soldiers to serve as long as they did not reveal their sexual preference. The ban on homosexual service members began in 1950 with former President Harry Truman’s Uniform Code of Military Justice, which, among other things, set up discharge rules for homosexual service members. In 1982, former President Ronald Reagan stated that homosexuality was “incompatible” with military service and that people that engaged in homosexual acts or stated they were gay or bisexual would be discharged. At the time, DADT was supported by some for the inclusive, yet secretive, integration of gays and lesbians into the armed forces but was opposed by others. Dr. Gregory Urwin, professor of history and associate director at the center for the study of force and diplomacy, said “Congress made the law,” and that, although Clinton vowed to lift up the ban, he compromised with DADT. While some universities have banned ROTC programs for certain policies in the past, Urwin said that there was “never a big effort” on the part of the administration, faculty, or students to boycott the ROTC at Temple. “At the time [DADT] was passed it was progressive. It was a great step forward,” Jeff Fin, vice president of Purple Circle, a GLBT student organization, said. This is not the only time in history when the U.S. military has made steps toward integration. In the 1950s Truman ordered for racial integration to occur. Urwin said that the president was “confident that the military was going to comply.” But its integration was not fully achieved until the Korean War, Urwin said. “The military have the toughest job in the world, [they] develop their own culture,” Urwin said. Urwin said the military’s policies, which may reflect society values. A March 2011 Pew Research Center Poll shows that 58 percent of Americans said homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged, by society. “I did not have a reaction [to the repeal,]” said Ashley Springfield, a junior accounting major. She added that it was a “small step toward civil rights.” But for Fin, the repeal helps him feel as though “the promise of equality” is one step closer. Still, the repeal of DADT is contingent upon the administration leading the country. As the 2012 presidential race gains momentum, some republican candidates have expressed interest in reinstating the DADT policy. “[Gay rights are] generational to some extent, but [are] cultural too,” Urwin said. The repeal of DADT was passed by the House of Representatives on Dec. 15 and by the Senate on Dec. 18. President Barack Obama signed the repeal provision into law on Dec. 22. Josue Mercado can be reached at [email protected]. GREGORY BRANDON TTN Temple ROTC members train at the oval. Although the ROTC was subject to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, some say the repeal does not impact the program drastically. Universities’ admissions seek out students of means, survey shows To fill budget voids, colleges are looking for students who can pay the full tuition. COURTNEY THOMPSON The Temple News With slimmer portions of expenditures allotted to financial aid, universities are increasingly opting to admit students of financial means, a Inside Higher Ed 2011 survey of college and university admissions directors shows. The survey, which polled more than 450 admissions directors and enrollment managers, found that more than half of admissions officers at public research universities were paying more attention to finding students who can attend the college by paying the full price. Similarly, more than one third of the officers at four-year colleges said the same. Twenty-two percent of the admissions officials at four-year institutions said the financial downturn had led them to pay more attention in their decision to applicants’ ability to pay. However, Senior Vice Pro- vost for Enrollment Management William Black said there are other methods public universities employ to compensate for budget cuts, such as recruiting more out-of-state and international students. “We have rolling admissions, which means that we make an admission decision based on a student’s credentials, inform the student of that decision within four to six weeks, and only create a financial aid award for those students who are admitted,” Black said. “We do not wait for a student to apply for financial aid to make an admission decision. Therefore, we have no concrete information about a student’s family’s financial situation.” Economics Professor William Stull said that the influence of money in admissions is a “balancing act.” “Universities have to pay their bills. When they are short on money, they gravitate toward students with the ability to pay. It’s inevitable–the only thing that holds them back is their long-term reputation,” Stull said. While both public and private universities face constrained budgets, education professor Corrinne Caldwell said it is primarily private universities that are selecting candidates based upon their ability to pay. “Publics do not discount tuition on a regular basis...so the parents’ ability to pay does not play directly into any tuition calculation. Privates set the tuition at a high level, knowing that they will have to discount the tuition through many dif- ferent strategies at about a 40 percent rate overall,” Caldwell said. The issue arises when there are an inadequate number of parents who are capable of footing the entire or the majority of the bill, creating the potential for a deficit. Private universities develop legal methods of SEAN CARLIN TTN Tour guides show prospective students and their parents around Main Campus. A new study shows many universities are looking for students who can pay the full tuition price. eliminating financially disadvantaged candidates. “They have all sorts of ways of screening out students. If a working class kid has a job at McDonald’s over the summer, and the affluent kid spent the summer fence building with [American] Indians in North Dakota, immediately, they are going to turn down the applicant who wrote about his experience at McDonald’s,” Stull said. Stull said that, due to reduced state budgets, public universities are beginning to choose more candidates on the basis of financial privilege to rectify institutional debt. Caldwell said this tactic would “not even be effective” for Temple. Private schools with such policies suffer by not having a “diverse” incoming class, Caldwell said. Prospective college applicants also take objection with this tactic, stating that it will limit opportunities for their peers. “To base value solely on money is a corruption of the ‘American Dream’s’ meaning. Our country is the land of opportunity, and its education policy should reflect that,” said high school junior Liz Jiang. There are strategies that can be implemented to prevent public universities from excluding students of limited financial means, Stull said. “Public school admissions could be contingent upon meeting certain targets of income classes. State legislators, however, want to get out of business of higher education,” Stull said. Still, Stull said financial decisions can’t overlook figures like SAT scores. Despite a typical debt load of approximately $23,000 to $30,000, Caldwell said, a college degree may continue to serve as a catalyst for social mobility, increasing the importance of colleges finding sustainable ways to fund the educations of low-income students. “College graduation is still the best predictor of future economic stability and affluence but not by any means a guarantee,” Caldwell said. “There still will be mobility, just not with as much disposable income. One thing that we know for sure is that not graduating from college has even more of a negative influence on every aspect of employment and earnings than it has ever had.” Courtney Thompson can be reached at [email protected]. FOR THIS WEEK’S TEMPLE STUDENT GOVERNMENT COVERAGE, VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.TEMPLE-NEWS.COM A watchdog for the Temple University community since 1921. Brian Dzenis, Editor-in-Chief Valerie Rubinksy, Managing Editor Angelo Fichera, News Editor Kierra Bussey, Opinion Editor Cara Stefchak, Chief Copy Editor Alexis Sachdev, Living Editor Kara Savidge, A&E Editor Connor Showalter, Sports Editor Luis Rodriguez, Multimedia Editor Matthew Petrillo, Asst. News Editor Joey Cranney, Asst. Sports Editor Saba Aregai, Asst. Multimedia Editor Lauren Hertzler, Copy Editor Alexandra Olivier, Copy Editor Becky Kerner, Web Editor Kate McCann, Photography Editor Abi Reimold, Asst. Photography Editor Lucas Ballasy, Designer Cory Popp, Designer Ana Tamaccio, Designer David Hamme, Advertising Manager Tatiana Bowie, Business Manager Sarah Kelly, Billing Manager PAGE 4 OPINION temple-news.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 DRAWING CONCLUSIONS 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 [email protected]. The Temple News is located at: Student Center, Room 243 1755 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122 EDITORIALS GLBT Tolerance As National Coming Out Week approaches Main Campus, this is an opportune time for The Temple News to remind students that Temple is a place where everyone should be able to be themselves without facing any judgment for their respective lifestyle choices. It is commendable that the university entities such as Health Education Awareness Resource Team, Student Activities and University Housing and Residential Life are sponsoring events geared toward making GLBT students feel more comfortable on Main Campus for this week, but just because NCOW is only one week doesn’t mean the discussion of GLBT, and student rights in general, should end there. In April of 2010, The Temple News’ editorial board published an explanation for our continued, sometimes seemingly excessive, coverage of the GLBT community on Main Campus and in Philadelphia. A year and a half later, we stand by our position. The Temple News considers the GLBT cause the civil rights movement of our generation. The college community, especially in an urban environment, is typically seen as pretty Public Participation W hen District Councilman Darrell Clarke introduced legislation seeking to ban student housing in a large area around Main Campus, a conversation between two factions of the North Philly population became obviously necessary. It became clear that the students and the long-time residents living in the area need to open up communication, some way, some how. And while members of both groups need to step forward in order to mend relations, there’s one party that has been essentially absent from the conversation: Temple. Although administrators have been told time and time again that some students are a nuisance to the community, the university has been successful in remaining a bystander in the situation. While efforts such as the Good Neighbor Policy and the creation of a new task force, as reported by Amelia Brust on page 1, demonstrate that Temple undoubtedly is tied to its students’ dwelling campus, administrators have had a hands-off approach to Clarke’s bill. Holding private Task force meetings reiterates Temple’s disregard for the need for an open forum. After the bill was introduced, Assistant Vice President of University Communications Ray Betzner said the university did not have a stance on the bill because it dealt with land not owned by Temple. This response paints Tem- NCOW is important to promoting a judgement free atmosphere on Main Campus. friendly and accepting of the GLBT community. The Temple News is proud of the Temple community for maintaining supportive activities like NCOW and for the various student organizations that pledge their support for the community and demonstrate their involvement. But, we still have a long way to go. The struggles of some members of the GLBT community might not be apparent to everyone, but even in the most accepting places, they are still prevalent. The Temple News accepted submissions for essays this week, for anyone who wished to share their thoughts and experiences on the subject. Members of the community spoke on issues such as the demeaning nature of phrases like “the gay best friend,” and the intolerance those who identify as bisexual still face even from other members of the gay community. Tolerance and equality are not conditions that will be met overnight, but little by little, we’re getting better. This week, students should remember to appreciate themselves and respect each other for who they are and think about the lessons taught during NCOW for the rest of the year. Hopefully, Councilman Darrell Clarke’s proposed bill will create a dialogue, in which adminstators will actively participate. ple to be unassociated from the issue at hand. Yet, the proposed ordinance specifically singles out students as being intolerable citizens. Temple doesn’t operate or handle students housing off campus, but it’s undoubtedly linked to them. With the current bill in City Council, this is the time when Temple should publicly stand up for its students rather than remain silent. Students come to Main Campus knowing that housing isn’t guaranteed and that living off, but near, campus is a practical option in order to attend Temple. In addition to working with community leaders, administrators need to be vocal to politicians and work to help develop alternatives to a quick-fix ordinance that could have serious economic repercussions on the area. Last week, Betzner said that the university expected its students to be good citizens in the city and that, for the most part, they are. This opinion needs to be voiced to citizens and, more importantly, to City Council. The efforts underway by the university need to be discussed in an open forum, not in closed-door meetings. By standing on the sidelines, administrators are publicly denying association from their own constituents. LUCAS BALLASY TTN PHOTO COMMENT Photography student in the city ABI REIMOLD TTN (Top) Sophomore art history major Amanda Watson takes photos at Master and 5th Streets one morning. Last week, on temple-news. com, we asked how do you feel about Councilman Darrell Clarke’s proposed bill? Here are the results.* 41% 40% 15% 4% He is taking his frustration out on students. I think it’s unfair. Student’s share the blame for community tension. I completely agree. *Out of 68 votes NEXT WEEK’S POLL NOTABLE QUOTEABLE “The conversation went like this: ‘I dated a girl like you before. I broke up with her.’” POLLING PEOPLE How long will it take you to graduate? GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? DANA RICCI “Tough Love” Page 15 Visit temple-news.com to take our online poll, or send your comments to letters@ temple-news.com. Letters may regard any current issue but must include your full name, position and location. Students can give year and major. Submissions should be 350 words or fewer. CITY VIEW Economic Recovery: Under the Hood According to EPE Research Center, recipients of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act show that those dollars have helped create or save approximately 650,000 jobs, more than half of which were linked to funds distributed by the U.S. Department of Education. COMMENTARY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 PAGE 5 Quality educations come with a large price ZACHARY SCOTT At first glance, Obama’s proposed $60 billion price tag to revamp education may seem expensive, but it is necessary to ensure the success of American education in the future. O n Sept. 8, President Barack Obama proposed the America Jobs Act, a bill intended to help spur job growth in America. Part of the proposal included financial relief for the nation’s troubled educational system. The price tag for that section of the bill is, admittedly, a hefty one. Obama asked for $30 billion to help stop rampant teacher layoffs as well as an additional $30 billion for renovations on K-12 and community college facilities. No one can deny that $60 billion is a large amount of money. But at the same time, no one can deny that America’s schools have a great deal of room for improvement and busting out the checkbook is the best way to right the ship. It only takes a quick glance at the U.S. Census data concerning the amount spent per student in each state along with Education Week’s Quality Counts state education ranks to see the correlation. The more you spend, the better the quality of the education will be. That’s simple math. Apparently, Speaker John Boehner spent that class doodling in his notebook because he and other republicans in Congress aren’t exactly raising their hands to sign. Instead, Boehner promoted a different American Jobs Act: one that would consist of further tax breaks for the wealthy. Boehner justifies such a proposal by saying that “job creators in America are essentially on strike.” Well, sit down Boehner because there’s a lesson that you should probably learn. Class is in session. It’s already been well established that money directly correlates to the quality of the education. So then what does a lack of money mean? Poor performances in primary education, of course. And if a student doesn’t do too well in school, chances are that the student won’t be too prepared for the vastly more demanding college curriculum, which means that Temple classrooms could soon be filled with students who lack the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to succeed in this environment. Those students are not only unlikely to do well–they will also miss out on the most important lessons that college teaches: hard work, dedication and innovative thinking. This is a shame, since hard work, dedication and innovative thinking just so happen to be three of the most critical traits a potential employer would be looking for in a candidate. They’re also the characteristics employees in successful businesses usually display. That’s not a coincidence. A hard working, dedicated and innovative “It’s already been well established that money directly correlates to the quality of the education.” employee brings a great deal of value to a business. With that value comes the potential for expansion (more hiring) and greater financial incentives (higher salaries). Wouldn’t you know it, but that sounds like exactly what our struggling economy could use right about now. Sure, it may take a few years to be realized, but Obama’s American Jobs Act is exactly what it claims. It’s designed to help create jobs by making future job-hunters more employable. Meanwhile, there is Boehner’s plan. He said that cutting taxes to the wealthy will help stimulate job growth. In theory, he’s absolutely right. But, then again, if the people that employers would go to hire aren’t properly educated and won’t bring much value to the company, then it will hardly do any good. Obama’s plan may circumvent the immediate relief in favor of the future, but it does so in a way that promises much greater success. Boehner’s plan, on the other hand, is short-sighted and would ultimately be ineffective. There is no doubt that $60 billion is a big amount to spend, but the costs to the nation of not investing that money into the future are much greater. Class dismissed. Zachary Scott can be reached at [email protected]. Bill fuels misguided neighborhood debate JOEL FALTERMAYER While many oppose Councilman Darrell Clarke’s proposed housing bill, Faltermayer argues this type of legislative is needed to hold Temple responsible and accountable for its housing policies. I t seems as if every few months or so, this tired debate over Temple’s feudal policies of expansion is given new life in lieu of yet another shooting, mugging or studentdebauchery run amuck. Opinions are collected from both sides of the fence and haphazardly molded into a representation of North Philadelphia’s changing demographic, while Temple releases rhetorically-promising public relations blueprints in order to put off making any tangible moves toward reconciliation. In the meantime, Saturday nights continue as usual, with 40-toting swarms of students basking in the dilapidation of the neighborhoods that remain impoverished. Though I see that students, residents and developers alike have been effectively represented in this debate, there is no question that each is merely voicing their own logical interests. However, demonizing other parties simply covers up the true agent of gentrification: the university. While there is no chance that this new ordinance proposed by City Councilman Darrell Clarke will be put in place, it should provide a mirror to Temple’s administration so that they can begin to clean up their own mess. For the record, I am absolutely behind any legislation that humbles a fiscally irresponsible institution such as Temple. The university’s refusal to contribute anything tangible to the debate is completely consistent with its own interests. The Good Neighbor Policy is simply a Band-Aid slapped on a gaping wound, which shows how little thought the university has put into residential housing. Frankly, Temple’s lack of credibility in neighborhood matters should void any attempted response to the matter. What all concerned fail to realize is that Temple will continue to generate income from a changing demographic, regardless of students’ residential decisions. For the majority of students who remain content with the novelty of going to class in pajamas, yet economically or wantonly wish to move out of Temple’s dorms, the private development surrounding Temple offers the only solution. Everyone knows Temple’s history as the blue-collar backbone of Philadelphia’s academic network. Like the best parts of this city, Temple has remained a unique “Harvard on the “Saturday nights continue as usual, with 40-toting swarms of students basking in the dilapidation of the neighborhods that remain impoverished.” Delaware,” without the pretense of false antiquity, alienating class or high tuition. But in the 21st century, the university lost all credibility by utilizing corporate hiring policies and constructing a poor façade of residential, four year education. And to lose dignity of this magnitude in a city that snowballed Santa Claus can prove to be very disruptive to Philadelphia’s economic and social structure. In a pursuit to transform Main Campus into a residential nest of student activity, Temple utterly failed to accommodate students who had barely left their parents’ house a year prior. Now, because of this most recent legislative discourse, which plans to “prohibit students from living in areas near Main Campus,” we have the opportunity to gauge Temple’s response to its own expansion and rethink the direction that this will take us. The source of the issue lies not with sloppy, underage inebriation, fiscallyminded private developers or with a few communities struggling to unify in the shadow of the university wrecking ball. The source remains the institution who can’t manage its own identity in the 21st century. Clearly, if this school was once an “Acre of Diamonds,” it has failed to uphold moral integrity in an attempt to save face. Joel Faltermayer can be reached at [email protected]. Health care insurance limits independence T emple alumnus Jimmy Curran, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, is at risk of losing his eligibility to receive government assistance when he decides he wants to work. His job’s insurance plan doesn’t cover all of his needs. Curran “qualifies ROBERT for 56 hours a week of aides and nursMAYS ing care–a $185,000 bill paid for with state and federal money,” philly.com Almunus reported. Unfortunately, with a job CurJimmy Curran ran qualifies for half of the support he is depends on the currently receiving. I am disturbed that we live in a state for health society that doesn’t want to help those care insurance who are in need. There is no middle and home ground for those trying to be indepencare aide, but dent. It’s a game of the haves and have his decision nots. Both our American health care and to work may social services system are in dire need of reform. I have been fortunate enough to have had limit the health insurance since my infancy and couldn’t benefits he imagine my life without it since I am a survivor receives. of childhood asthma. In college, I have witnessed many of my friends lose health care coverage as a result of aging out of the system. The rules sur- VOICE OF THE PEOPLE How do you feel about the proposed bill that would limit students from living in certain areas around Main Campus? rounding who receives health insurance are an insult and quite contradictory to the American ideals that we all claim to hold. Land of the free, but health insurance coverage is not guaranteed to all citizens? The United States is lagging behind many industrialized nations when it comes to health accessibility for its people. This is because we do not treat health care as a human right, instead it is played as a dangerous game of “deserving” versus “undeserving” patients. The poor are marginalized and the disabled are forced to make a decision on whether or not to be dependent on the system. It’s a vicious cycle and unfortunately that is the reality for many young Americans in today’s society. I honestly believe that our society doesn’t really want to see people have a life of testimony, but instead, a tale of destitute failure–that way the process of scapegoating can be completed “The poor are marginalized and the disabled are forced to make a decision on whether or not to be dependent of the system.” CODY TAYLOR SOPHOMORE FILM “I think it’s unfair to the university. Temple’s trying to bring a new light to the community and turn the neighborhood around. Temple has a bad reputation for being dangerous, but the housing is slowly making it a nicer area.” without any form of self-responsibility. As a relative of someone who was diagnosed with a disability, I have seen how hard it can be for a disabled person to live a normal life. For Curran, he has gone on to do more, despite his physical limitations. His story is one of triumph and I believe that this is not the end. Can you imagine being denied Social Security and home care aide because you decide to work and make more than $2,000 a month? I find that to be absurd. Do you want him to live below the poverty line? The typical societal view for someone using or depending upon social services is one of shame and disdain. I believe that this will not be the last we hear about Curran. He is not the only one suffering from this. As a citizen of this society, you do have a right to question our health care system. KRISTI SADOW Robert Mays can be reached at [email protected]. SOMEONE ELSE’S OPINION “So are our smartphones addictive, medically speaking? Some psychologists suggest that using iPhones and BlackBerrys may tap into the same associative learning pathways in the brain that make other compulsive behaviors —like gambling—so addictive.” Martin Lindstron, an Op-Ed contributor, on New York Times “You Love Your iPhone. Literally” “It does mellow out the triggered response in a certain population. But with some, it made them very, very paranoid— it had the opposite effect.” Mary Tendall, a licensed therapist, on the in The Washington Post “Marijuana study of traumatized veterans stuck in regulatory limbo” “Bicycle riders pose a danger to themselves and to pedestrians, according to the studies. Bicycle commuters have 2.3 times the black carbon, or soot, in their lungs as do noncyclists, according to a U.K. study whose results were applied to cities world-wide. And each year in New York state alone cyclists cause about 1,000 injuries to pedestrians that require a hospital visit, 55% of those in New York City.” Carl Bialik, a Wall Street Journal columnist, on “A Different Spring on the Dangers of Urban Cycling” “College students consume Red Bull Energy Drink because it works. The benefits of Red Bull tie naturally with the daily activities of college students as the product delivers energy and the ability to focus.” A representative from Red Bull, in The Associated Press on “College buzzing about energy drink sales ban” JUNIOR MATT COHEN EDUCATION “I don’t think the bill would ever go through. We just don’t have enough housing for Temple students, and I think the university would take issue with it.” SENIOR SPORTS MANAGEMENT “I think we’re making it better. We actually take care of the houses unlike some of the people around here, and we bring money to the area.” GRACE DICKINSON TTN OPINION DESK 215-204-9540 [email protected] COMMUNITY PAGE 6 on the WORD WEB... temple-news.com Unedited for content. Lea on “Carrying does more harm than good” on Sept. 29, 2011 at 8:05 am By reading these comments it just proves how ignorant sociaty can be!! Do the people who posted carry a gun?? Yikes!! To post such rude comments because someone has an opinion is inappropriate. Those who posted and want to be able to carry a gun are angry and rude. Yep, defiantly someone I want carring a gun!! My opinion- It is not the gun that kills people, people kill people. Not much is required to carry a gun, and with the mentality of some people I dont trust them with guns!! I woudnt trust them with my dog, let alone a gun around campus. Good for you Cary!! Well written and woudnt it be nice to walk the streets and not worry?? Kevin on “Philly Fashion Week 2011, Versatile styles showcased on catwalk” Sept. 27, 2011 at 1:16 am Hello I am happy you made it out again this season!! And I am glad you enjoyed the fashion we presented on the runways, but very organized we where i must say this season!!! Who shows up at 7 and show starts at 7 Really???? All Promos stated show Doors open at 7 show starts at 8 which it did, you were not waiting hours for our production to start, and yes the waiting room is for mix and mingle before the show starts. doors open and we seat our VIP’s and press set up. you seem to always want to highlight the negative, lol good night T-N!! Somebody needs to attend more shows in person not just on youtube and TV LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: City Councilman Darrell Clarke’s misguided proposal Dear Editor, Philadelphia City Councilman Darrell Clarke has introduced a new bill in the City Council that would stop the building of any more off-campus housing for Temple students in North Philadelphia and this issue needs to be addressed. In the midst of an economic downturn that was instigated by a failing housing market, Philadelphia officials see the solution to problems as preventing the construction of housing geared towards students at Temple. With the excuse of students being “out of control,” Clarke’s proposal will stunt job creation in Philadelphia by mitigating construction and associated jobs. Temple students live in the neighborhoods surrounding campus for several reasons and their benefits to the community are remarkable. Walking through the neighborhood west of Broad Street, you see development of new houses that would have been unthinkable a few short years ago. These new houses are really helping to clean up a neighborhood and community that has been riddled with crime and a lack of development in recent years. Temple has spurred development in parts of the city that would, otherwise, be in states of disarray. On the tax revenue side, Philadelphia greatly benefits from these new homes and residents because of an increased tax-base. In a city that is so strapped for cash that it had to institute rolling brownouts of fire stations last summer, how could someone support eliminating an expanded tax base? Looming reassessment will also increase property values, increasing tax revenues and helping locals who may be concerned about declining property values in the city. Limiting student housing will cause an unprecedented rise in the cost of rent much higher than fair-market values. If Clarke cares so much about the North Philadelphia community, why would he be willing to stop the expansion of off-campus housing and replace it with more drug corners, abandoned homes, vacant lots and a less-safe community? In supporting this legislation, Clarke is supporting the elimination of jobs in the construction sector, an increased level of crime in the neighborhoods surrounding Temple and increasing the financial strain on Temple students who wish to live off-campus by triggering an increase in rent prices. Sincerely, Erik Jacobs President, Temple College Republicans TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 COMMUNITY COVERAGE Creative fundraiser involves selling pies MANNA kicks-off its annual Pie in the Sky fundraiser Oct. 11. KIERRA BUSSEY Opinion Editor The Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance was founded in 1993 by members of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. Each year around Thanksgiving, MANNA hosts its Pie in the Sky fundraising event. This year will mark the event’s 15th anniversary. “Pie in the Sky, to sum it up, is a pie sale,” said Lindsay Cohen, the strategic partnership coordinator of MANNA. “We sell four different types of pies to outreach to the co mmunity. We sell three of them for $25 each and one for $50. All of the proceeds go toward MANNA and our mission.” The different types of pies include the signature MANNA-made “Sky Pie,” holiday pumpkin pie, traditional apple pie and southern pecan pie. Every year MANNA enlists the help from volunteers in many ways. “I know a lot of college students like to get involved with various charities and various fundraisers and I think Pie in the Sky with MANNA is definitely a great way to get involved,” Cohen said. “It’s a fun charity event. Food and college students go together well. You know everyone would love to get pies around the Thanksgiving holiday.” Anyone can join this initiative as an individual or team seller. Sellers are responsible for promoting the event through social media sites. “Rather than having to do volunteer hours somewhere, [selling pies] is a different way to get involved,” Cohen said. On Tuesday, Oct. 11, MANNA will host its kick-of party at the Public House Restau- rant at 1801 Arch St., from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. “The kickoff party is a chance for individuals to get involved in MANNA’s Pie in the Sky fundraiser by becoming a pie seller or a pie selling team. Becoming a pie seller is easy and fun–individuals simply sell pies to their family, friends, co-workers, students, whoever–and all of the proceeds go directly toward MANNA’s mission,” Cohen said. “The kick-off party includes food, drinks, stories from past pie sellers and volunteers, and of course information and promotional materials will be given out to ease everyone’s selling efforts,” Cohen added. “It’s going to be a fun party, and a way of saying thank you to all of MANNA’s hardworking pie sellers.” In addition to Pie in the Sky, each moth MANNA prepares and home-delivers more than 70,000 nutritious meals to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, serving Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern N.J. Through its mission, volunteers have made and home delivered more than 800,000 meals each year, free of charge, with the help of a large volunteer base. MANNA also provides education and counseling to help clients make the most appropriate nutritional decisions concerning their well-being while going through medical treatment. Kierra Bussey can be reached at [email protected]. Re: DREAM Act facts Dear Editor, The ignorance displayed in the recent quarrel about the DREAM Act that has occupied this space has me concerned. Select students tackled a piece of legislation they seemingly know almost nothing about. While I do appreciate political discussion from all viewpoints, it is important that political discussions be based on fact. Without further ado, here are the facts: The federal DREAM Act was concocted not as a solution to America’s immigration woes as a whole, but as an answer to a narrow issue. Legal or not, America has found itself investing in education for undocumented immigrants without anything to show for it. We can indulge in as many normative statements regarding immigration as we wish, however, our troubles will not simply go away. The DREAM Act seeks to give top illegal students a path, though tough, to legality. The bill only applies to illegal graduates of U.S. high schools who’ve lived in America for five years prior to application for eligibility. DREAMers must exhibit strong moral character and must either gain entry to a four-year college or join the armed forces. The current bill does not allow access to Pell Grants or other federal financial aid services and leaves application of in-state tuition rates up to the states. It also bars DREAMers from benefits of “Obamacare,” Medicaid, food stamps and other welfare programs. Application for the DREAM Act does not act as amnesty and any insufficient candidates can be deported as a result of application. Furthermore, completion of the program only ensures revocable permanent residency, not citizenship, which has further requirements. By some estimates, only 7,000 to 13,000 students would currently be able to complete the entire DREAM Act and citizenship program. Finally, some suggest the bill would quickly apply to “millions” of illegal immigrants. In reality, a UCLA study projected that the bill would apply to only about 825,000 to 2.1 million people during a 40 year period. The DREAM Act would increase America’s skilled labor force and its tax base. The Congressional Budget Office predicted that the bill could produce $2.3 billion in additional tax revenues during a 10 year period, while reducing deficits by approximately $1.4 billion. Additionally, the aforementioned UCLA study projected an increase in taxable income from $1.6 to $3.6 trillion during a 10 year period. So, there are the facts. Enjoy. Sincerely, Joe Hoey Vice President, Temple College Democrats Re: Illusion of Intellectual Freedom Dear Editor, The cruelest joke on Temple students is the administration’s illusion of intellectual freedom. But how can such a fundamental component of a university be illusory? Temple boasts of its diverse student body from all 50 states and the globe, proudly voicing that when looking out onto campus, they see the world. The administration’s narcissistic celebration of diverse racial and ethnic groups has ironically turned Temple into a spectacle, with one of the most bigoted, unilaterally racist, biased administrations in the country. Regardless of its just-for-show mission, Temple doesn’t celebrate diversity of thought. Such a celebration is a threat to their version of “intellectual freedom,” which was ripped out from the 1960s radical agenda-for-change. Temple celebrates–as if it were some infantile competition to the finish line–the numbers of different skin colors and shapes of faces, for these two are easy to exploit. Unadulterated intellectual freedom, however, counters their elitist, socalled “diverse,” socially just curricula, which students should just accept because radicals know what is better for us, their intellectual prisoners. However, what good is the celebration of diverse racial and ethnic groups when Temple suppresses–if not completely omits–intellectual freedom? Temple prioritizes racist values over the enrichment that, with no agenda, diversity of thought offers. To Temple, we students are impressionable pawns, whose minds they systematically manipulate, exposing us to select resentment-driven aspects of America’s past and present, channeled through their personal biases, which they present as matter-of-fact. This is indoctrination and they aren’t embarrassed to promote and perpetuate it. It is easy to fall victim to subtle indoctrination. I did. It wasn’t until months after I had founded the first version of Temple University Students for Intellectual Freedom that I realized I had unwittingly written within our mission Marxist lingo and Liberation Theology rhetoric, both of which are anti-American, anti-prosperity and progress, but very much champions of institutional strength and manipulation through ignorance and naiveté. Temple radicals should not use our classrooms as their political platforms to dictate what and how we should think. The declaration on the Principles of Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure declared in 1915 that the teacher “should, above all, remember that his business is not to provide students with ready-made conclusions, but to train them to think for themselves, and to provide them access to those materials which they need if they are to think intelligently.” Sincerely, Alvaro Watson, President Students for Intellectual Freedom Past volunteers sell pies outside of Liberty Place. COURTESY LINDSAY COHEN COMMUNITY VOICE Respect is needed in the community Linda Rippy suggests that respect would create less tension between Temple students and community members. The development of student housing in the area surrounding Main Campus has provided living arrangements for many Temple students. District Councilman Darrell Clarke seeks to put a halt to this continued development. Last week The Temple News reported in “Ordinance seeks to remove students housing tensions” that Clarke, reportedly cited students’ disrespectful behavior building tension between students and long-time residents in the community surrounding Main Campus as a reason for introducing the bill. This view is also shared by Linda Rippy, of Wynnefield, Pa. However, Rippy notes that not all students should be blamed. “Not all students, but some, are very disrespectful. They don’t have any respect for the people that live in the neighborhood,” Rippy said. “It’s all about them. So I think they should limit it to certain areas. I live in Wynnefield and it’s the same thing with Saint Joe’s students.” In her experience living near students, she hasn’t had any issues, but she knows others personally who have. “I do have friends and relatives that live in the area and my great aunt moved because it was too much for her,” Rippy said. Rippy said she doesn’t necessarily believe that the development has negatively impacted North Philadelphia, but reiterates that students need to be more respectful. “[The development] has a positive effect, but like I said it’s not all students, but it’s a few and they make it worse for the others,” Rippy said. Kierra Bussey can be reached at [email protected]. KIERRA BUSSEY TTN Linda Rippy explains that respect is mutal and needed for community harmony. MY REDDITS ALL - RANDOM | PICS - FUNNY - POLITICS - GAMING - ASKREDDIT - CREEPYPASTA - WORLDNEWS - POLITICS - IAMA TODAYILEARNED - FIRST- LIVING temple-news.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 PAGE 7 temple-news.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 PAGE 7 My eyes have been ruined by The long hair I kept during my angsty period, now my hipster glasses are real submitted 14 minutes ago by faildar to firstworldproblems comment share save hide report I own a domain that a big corporation wants to sue me into acquiring. Help Reddit! (self.AskReddit) submitted 14 minutes ago by crazz to AskReddit 623 comments share save hide report Another new residence hall to be built at 10th & Diamond (bizjournals.com) submitted 26 minutes ago by aedgar777 to Temple comment share save hide report Temple redditors attempt to win the Grow a College Subreddit Competition submitted 1 day ago by cpoppm to Temple comment share save hide report Subreddit competes for No. 1 R/Temple competes with other schools for the most popular subreddit page. CORY POPP The Temple News Reddit.com, a combination of social news aggregation and online forum, bases the popularity of its content on user votes. To stay relevant, Reddit separates different topics and groups into individual forums, or subreddits, which focus on anything from finance to flower identification. Temple has its own subreddit, “r/Temple,” and its competing with approximately 500 other schools for the position of most popular college in the Grow a College Subreddit Competition. With the help of a small group of students spreading the word, r/Temple has grown 31 percent since the beginning of the year, up 113 subscribers since the end of August. Sophomore management information systems major John Shaw said he thinks this growth can be attributed to word-of-mouth. The group plans on using advertising techniques such as QR codes, which will link people who are genuinely interested to the site. Shaw took on the leadership position of promoting r/Temple after no one else volunteered. Although he said he doesn’t think Temple has a good chance at winning the title of the most popular college, he still thinks it’s a worthy endeavor to build-up an online community within the university. “Winning would be awesome,” Shaw said. “But if we can get a community to form, that would be awesome.” Topics that have appeared on r/ Temple over the past few weeks include news of President Ann Weaver Hart’s resignation, gripes about watching Netflix in an over-crowded Anderson Hall computer lab, various club announcements and housing advice for incoming freshmen. “The nature of Reddit is to get people’s honest opinion on things,” Shaw said. “Temple really doesn’t have anything like that.” Reddit differs from other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter because it’s main goal is to encourage discussion. Shaw said he thinks the site has potential to act as a strong tool for community development because users get to decide what content appears on the front page. “There was one post where a high school junior or senior was asking about Temple to get people’s honest opinion,” Shaw said. “That was really cool.” Shaw said he thinks club organizations could use the site to promote events. There have been two Reddit meetings at Temple this semester. Fifteen attendees showed up to the first one at Beury Beach. R/Temple creator Alex Curin, a junior biology and chemistry major, said he started up the subreddit more than two years ago when an initial search for a Temple page on Reddit provided no results. Curin said he’s been largely inactive on the site since, but likes the way it’s progressing. “It’s pretty cool in the sense that people can post about clubs and events,” he said. Reddit user and freshman English major Alexandra McGrorty said she used the site to find out about a Temple protest of Troy Davis’ execution. She said that while she found this information useful, the site doesn’t always provide the most relevant student news. “There’s some stuff that is useful,” McGrorty said. “It can be a good information source.” The competition, which ran from Aug. 26 through Oct. 24, offers three ways to win, including best percentage growth, best absolute growth and administrator’s choice award. Prizes for the winning college include school colors on Reddit’s front page for a day with the school mascot as the Reddit alien, a large box of mascot designed alien stickers, a poster customized to the winning university and a box of the school’s subreddit QR code stickers. The website sorts the good content from the bad based on “upvotes” and “downvotes.” A post with a large number of upvotes will appear higher up on the page than a post with downvotes. The Temple group plans on making the upvote button on r/Temple a Temple “T” because it looks like an up arrow and a downvote button a Villanova “V”. Check out the temple subreddit at reddit.com/r/temple. Cory Popp can be reached at [email protected]. Competition breakdown Illustration Cory Popp submitted 1 day ago by stevenrock137 to Temple comment share save hide report 1 ABSOLUTE GROWTH: traffic growth (50 percent), activity growth (40 percent) and subscriber growth (10 percent) 2 PERCENTAGE GROWTH: Growth in number of subscribers to college subreddit in ratio to the school’s undergraduate enrollment. 3 ADMIN CHOICE AWARD: will be given to the college subreddit community that the Reddit administrators enjoy the most. This can be through design, content, activity or even just one amazing post that will make us all laugh. POSSIBLE PRIZES • • • • • School colors on Reddit front page for a day with mascot as Reddit alien Large box of mascot designed alien stickers Large poster customized to your school Large box of school’s subreddit QR code stickers Possible meetup hosted at your school by a Reddit admin(s). Today I learned That The Price is Right “Beauties” signed only week-long contracts. (articles.latimes.com) submitted 1 day ago by Silverhammer2da_max to TIL 2 comments share save hide report A Villanova sub-reddit?! Who knew? (self.villanova) submitted 8 months ago by leighbuzz to Villanova 211 comments share save hide report CORBETT, Y U NO LIKE EDUCATION? submitted 2 months ago by Mr.nickrocckk to Politics 15 comments share save hide report I am Bear Grylls. Ask me Anything. PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW This week, meet Brianna Edwards, the president of Queer Student Union, in honor of National Coming Out Week. LIVING DESK 215-204-7418 COMING OUT The fourth year of National Coming Out Week starts Wednesday on Main Campus, TTN has the scoop. NEXT WEEK (self.IAmA) submitted 19 day ago by TheAdrenalist to IAmA 6721 comments share save hide report BANNED BEVERAGES Some schools around the nation are talking about banning energy drinks. TTN reporter Gina Villecco has the story. [email protected] LIVING PAGE 8 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Fraternity hosts fifth-annual dance lesson in Student Center Lambda Theta Phi fraternity hosted a salsa dancing lesson for students Friday, Sept. 30, last weekend. The event comes every year during Latino Heritage Month with the goal of raising awareness of the Latino students on Main Campus. At a school as large and as diverse as Temple, Perez said students can get lost. Baila Conmigo originated VICTORIA MARCHIONY five years ago as an accident. “We wanted to have a Mr. The Temple News and Mrs. Latino competition Friday, Sept. 30, marked in 2007,” De Jesus said, who the 5th annual “Baila Con- was a brother on campus at migo” event, presented by the that time. “I was in charge of brothers of Lambda Theta Phi, it. We had teamed up with Esencia Latina and Latin Fraternity the Association of Inc. Latin Students and Scheduled had everything toto be held in the gether. Then three Student Center weeks prior, some Underground things went wrong from 6:45 p.m. with contestants -8:30 p.m., the and it fell apart.” event ran late and Left with a didn’t start until room rented and after 7 p.m. promotions under“We’re Latway, the groups in, it happens,” were under pressaid LTP alumsure to deliver nus, Miguel Ansomething. gel De Jesus. Michael Andino / “Esencia LaDespite the owner, esenecia latina tina is a dance late start, howgroup, so we just ever, the event thought we’d use engaged a wide that,” De Jesus range of guests with food, performances and an interactive said. After a successful first dance lesson. A metropolitan chapter, event, the brothers of LTP Lambda Theta Phi has only agreed to do it again at the refour brothers currently active quest of Esenecia Latina the on Main Campus, making an following year. When the other organievent like this one even more zations couldn’t participate challenging to pull off. “Pretty much everyone last year, the brothers of LTP shares responsibility,” said fra- stepped up and decided to conternity President Thomas Perez. tinue producing the program on “It’s been hard, but it helps that their own. The evening was a tribute we’ve been with each other for more than a year. We’ve learned to Latino culture. With authenfrom last year what worked and tic, homemade food from the mother of one LTP member what didn’t work.” “In social dancing, the only connection you have is through your hands to tell you how to react.” and a salsa lesson directed by LTP alumnus and dance studio owner Michael Andino, the atmosphere was vibrant and peppered with enthusiastic greetings in both Spanish and English as family and friends arrived to enjoy. Every year the event manifests itself differently. “Last year we did the Bomba,” Perez said, who chose the salsa this year because of its gain in popularity and notoriety. “We’re open to suggestions.” The diverse audience may have been surprising to some, yet Andino was hardly taken back. “Salsa is a melting pot of people and looking around the room that’s exactly what I see,” Andino said. Even the dance troupe was diverse, who combined to make the crowd feel comfortable, if not confident, in putting themselves out there to learn how to salsa. Though intimidating at first, by the end of the evening everyone in the crowd was crammed onto the dance floor, learning the steps. The presenters started by demonstrating their own impressive moves while the audience ate rice, beans and meat and clapped enthusiastically. Everyone was then instructed to get onto the dance floor to learn the basic forward-backward step, a turn and a side-to side step. After some coaching, the attendees partnered up and began practicing their social dance skills. “In social dancing, the only connection you have is through y o u r hands to tell you how to react,” Andino said. “The reason you swing your hands is to ask permission to turn her,” Andino said as he instructed attendees. “Ladies, you don’t just want to give it away, step forward, think about it, then turn–you don’t want to be easy about it.” “My favorite part is the dancing. It’s rare that y o u can just let go and dance,” Perez added. After five years of success, LTP hopes to continue to host Baila Conmigo in future years. To submit suggestions or for information about getting involved, keep in touch with LTP on Twitter @AlphaRhoLambdas, or email Perez with questions at thomas.perez@temple. edu. Victoria Marchiony can be reached at [email protected]. National Coming Out Week Essays In honor of this year’s National Coming Out Week, to be celebrated on Main Campus from Oct. 5-11, The Temple News accepted personal essays and memoirs about experiences in coming out, relationships with others as members of the GLBT community and why they support the GLBT lifestyle. In addition to the four essays running in this week’s issue, The Temple News will be accepting submissions to temple-news.com for the entire month of October. For more NCOW essays, see page 17. To share a story, send an email to [email protected]. Self-acceptance first step in coming out Stephen Rose I’m a master of deception and a fantastic liar. I know this because I’ve been doing it for the past 22 years. I learned how to blend in with my surroundings, how to go unnoticed and how to cover my tracks. At times, my shield would crack and my greatest fear would slip through–the fear of my world crashing down around me. This is also when I learned that I was hiding behind a façade I knew was not me. I had a constant battle going on inside and I was getting tired of holding it all in. Around the age of 18, I decided I was done trying to hide from the important people in my life and myself. The process was long. It took four years to cross the last name off my list of people to tell. I thought I would feel complete, yet something is still missing. I make up the “B” in GLBT. Although B’s look different from L’s, G’s and T’s, they are all letters that make up one alphabet. That’s what I thought being a member of the gay community would be like. I have learned quickly that the fear and discrimination of being bisexual still continues. I continue to suppress who I am. I’m afraid everyone, including gay people, will judge me for my sexuality. It’s a constant irritation when both your straight friends and gay friends ask you, “Are you still bi?” “You’re not gay yet, are you?” “Who do you see yourself marrying?” No, I’m not greedy or seeking any special attention, I’d rather go unnoticed. I would say my level of horniness is at a medium range. I think cheating is one of the worst things someone can do to another person. And don’t even try to tell me who or what I am. I’m not confused and I’m not gay. Funny, no one has ever asked me if I was just straight. Coming to terms with who I am has given me confidence. I know what I’m attracted to, and it just so happens to be men and women. The only way I can answer those hurtful questions and assumptions is that I don’t know. I just know I’m Stephen Rose. I feel there is a negative connotation to bisexuality, more than a pride-parade-positive one. I’ve met many bisexual people who have felt the same way–that we are more unique– which makes it harder for people to accept. Some days I find myself shocked at how people still react to sexuality, especially if you swing both ways. Can someone please explain to me how a group of people who already struggle with being different are often quick to judge one another? That is what’s missing: support. Sometimes I feel shunned from both straight and gay worlds, especially when it comes to dating. It’s because of people who don’t understand a different sexuality from their own and these destructive stereotypes are the reason kids are committing suicide. I know how anyone who is different feels lost and alone. I was there. I thought I was so alone that I seriously questioned whether there was a place for me in this world and that it didn’t matter if I was in it “I’ve met many bisexual people who have felt the same way–that we are more unique–which makes it harder for people to accept.” anymore. I know how low and defeated people feel when they are continually battling against the world just to be a part of it. The bullying and judgement has to stop. We need to start understanding people as they are and not who they are or what makes them. It breaks my heart every time I hear that another teenager has killed themselves due to bullying because of their sexual orientation. Unlike the kids who felt so alone, I came out I found my true support system in close friends and family. When you’re like me you think the worst of every situation. I regret that it took me 22 years to finally realize that it isn’t that bad, I’m not alone and there were more people like me and people out there who are accepting. I wish those kids would have held on for a bit longer. It takes one person to realize someone else’s worth to give them a glimmer of hope. The most difficult lesson I learned is that to be completely comfortable with yourself, you have to first accept yourself and admit that you are different and nothing will change that. When that happens, those earth-shattering situations get a lot better. -Stephen Rose NCOW returns to Main Campus RHA, QSU and other organizations join hands on Main Campus to support coming out. AMANDA PLAKSIN The Temple News Considering today’s changing times of social acceptance, Brianna Edwards, a sophomore advertising major and president of Queer Student Union, said that college is the most tolerant time for those in the GLBT community to come out. “The community here is very accepting, although the media does play a part in how comfortable students feel as well,” Edwards said. “During [National Coming Out Week] students get to be involved and send a positive message throughout campus.” The Temple community is also embracing its GLBT students and is hosting NCOW, which began on Main Campus in 2008, and will run from Wednesday, Oct. 5 through Oct. 11. “This area is historically progressive,” said Brendan Good, a geography and urban studies major and the secretary of QSU. “So even though only 30 to 50 people come out to the meetings every Monday, in actuality the community is much, much larger and is made up of allies and people who show their support in the littlest ways. QSU is a small part of [GLBT] life here.” Programs will be sponsored by University Housing and Residential Life, HEART, Student Activities, Queer Student Union, Purple Circle and Residence Hall Association, to provide a week of awareness, visibility and fun for GLTB issues and rights. This year’s activities will include a panel discussion led by members of QSU on how race and religion affects sexuality, a tabling day at the Bell Tower where there will be concessions, information and T-shirts given out, and a “Come Out, Speak Out” night during which students can share coming out stories with others. Event officials will also hold a showing and discussion of “Milk,” the movie that chronicles the life of Harvey Milk, first openly gay man to be elected to political office in the United States. Ryan Kelly, a freshman philosophy major, said NCOW will be liberating for him although it is the kind of thing he has never experienced. “With all the political problems of gay marriage legislation and Lady Gaga dedicating a song to gay suicide, I think it’s important to show people who may not be exactly like ourselves our support,” he said. Good said student recruitment through social networking and events like NCOW allows Temple’s GLBT community to be accepted. NCOW is not QSU’s only focus at this time. The QSU Temple Team will be participating in Aids Walk Philly on Sunday, Oct. 16. For more information, go to aidswalkphilly.org. Amanda Plaksin can be reached at [email protected]. ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT temple-news.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 PAGE 9 Bookstore offers GLBT destination Giovanni’s Room at 12th and Pine streets is a source of knowledge and a safe-haven for the GLBT community for approximately 40 years. KARA SAVIDGE Arts & Entertainment Editor “People Were Desperate For those looking for literature pertaining to homosexuality or written for GLBT people, a search on Amazon’s online bookstore offers mixed results. Though a search for ‘homosexuality’ on the site returns thousands of books, at the top of the list is “A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality.” Ed Hermance, the owner of Giovanni’s Room, a gay and lesbian bookstore at 12th and Pine streets in Center City, said this book has been the first result in this search on the site for at least two years. His explanation of this scenario isn’t simply a case of a small bookstore owner taking a shot at Amazon’s monopoly on the book-selling industry. Hermance emphasizes the significance of buying books at a store where the employees have a knowledge of what they’re selling, especially regarding a topic that was unaddressed in mainstream literature for so long. And his explanation for the results that Amazon offers on the topic, many of which he describes as “diatribes against homosexuality,” is the difference between human attention to a subject versus a computer’s. “There are thousands of books in the store right now, in our own database we’ve created records for more than 48,000 books and DVDs [and eBooks],” Hermace said. “It’s much finer grained categorization than anyone else is even trying to do, it’s not on the law of averages, it’s someone who knows something about the subject organizing the material, there’s human input and Amazon is not human.” for some reflection of their lives” GIOVANNI’S PAGE 12 ILLUSTRATION ANA TAMACCIO Philly’s music scene welcomes its newest venue The former home to the Spaghetti Warehouse was transformed by R5 Productions into the city’s first mid-size concert venue, Union Transfer. The inaugural concert was performed Sept. 21, and concerts are booked through December. The venue hosts a variety of genres. ALEXSIA BROWN The Temple News After years of holding shows at various venues around Philadelphia, the show promotion agency R5 Productions, which operates on a “do it yourself” mentality, finally opened a venue of its own this month. The venue located at 10th and Spring Garden streets had its first show Sept. 21 with headliner Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The venue was once a Spaghetti Warehouse, but R5 bought and renovated it into a new home for shows with the goal of creating a larger space for live-music shows in Philadelphia to be held. Union Transfer can accommodate 600 people and as many as 1,000 with the stage pushed back. “We have been doing shows in church basements and other weird, small spaces for the last 15 years,” said Sean Agnew, a co-founders of Union Transfer and owner of R5. “I always wanted to own our own venue but under the right circumstances–the room, location sound, etc.,” Agnew added. “Once it became clear that R5 could team up with Bowery Presents from New York City and Four Corners Management from Philly and this location became available, it was a no-brainer.” Once the location was secured, renovations began to turn the location into the space Agnew imagined. “We had to basically tear down everything in the UNION PAGE 10 MADDIE BATES TTN TOYS TRANSITIONS The Temple News catches up with Toy Soldiers, whose transformation has boosted their popularity and notoriety. A&E DESK 215-204-7418 COMING OUT Find out what festivities are going down in the Gayborhood as the city recognizes National Coming Out Day. NEXT WEEK Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, a Brooklyn, N.Y. and Philly-based indie rock band, performs at the first Union Transfer show. The band played for a sold-out crowd on the evening of Sept. 21. URBAN RIDERS North Philly’s home to some hidden horse stables – find out how these farm animals found their way to the city. [email protected] ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 10 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 New venue opens UNION PAGE 9 inside of the building and start definitely brought a new experience from scratch,” Agnew said. “It was to the area,” said Sean Gavaghan, an a tough project. There were con- automotive training center student struction issues here and there, but and Shellac fan. “It definitely has a nothing major. It’s been surprisingly lot more space than other venues.” smooth.” Another Shellac fan, Madeline Though the space Hart, shared Gadid achieve their goal vaghan’s enthusiin having a nicely asm about Union sized venue, Agnew Transfer. said the purpose of it “The atmois what matters most. sphere was really “The idea is to nice and it was a provide Philadelphia great size for the with a next level, amount of people,” mid-sized venue Hart said. “It’s a that’s all ages and lot more open than that allows 21-andthe First Unitarian up folks to be able to Sean Gavaghan Church, but I like drink,” Agnew said. both equally.” “It’s almost a year Sasha McFadsince we started planden, a Philadelphia ning this out so the native who was at main goal of opening for the fall was the Shellac show, said she was also met.” excited about the new venue. Union Transfer caters to vari“It was very nice,” McFadous bands as opposed to one specific den said. “A lot of room to get my genre. groove on. I definitely like it more “We are booking primarily na- than Johnny Brenda’s.” tional bands that can draw at least Union Transfer is located at 300 people a night,” Agnew said. 1026 Spring Garden St. Tickets for “We are booking all sorts of stuff: shows are sold online and at its box Hip-Hop, indie rock, country, singer/ office, which is open Friday and songwriters, electronic–it’s a pretty Saturday from noon-6 p.m. and on big and varied show calendar.” the evenings of shows from 5 p.m. Some attendees at the Shellac to close. Additional inquiries can be and Helen Money show on Sept. directed to 215-232-2100. 29 gave the new venue positive reAlexsia Brown can be reached at views. [email protected]. “I thought it was very nice and it “I thought it was very nice and it definitely brought a new experience to the area” MADDIE BATES TTN (Above) Tyler Sargent plays bass for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Below) The band performs the first show at the venue on Sept. 21. Songs that are ‘too good’ have bodily effect Fear of Music Every so often, I hear a song that is so good I want to die. Generally that feeling is for one or both of the following reasons: A. Kevin Stairiker It’s a song that I wish Columnist Kevin I would’ve Stairiker explains or could’ve been able the feeling of to write my- hearing a song self, or B. It’s a song that’s just ‘too that holds good.’ qualities that somehow appeal to every part of me as a music fan. When I hear a song that falls under either of those two categories, I feel like a 10-year-old kid who just finished both sides of a box of Nerds in under two minutes: rabid, sugar high and experiencing a feeling like death is coming soon. Thankfully, feelings like these don’t come often. Rarely does a new song affect me in ways that I can’t sit still. When I started listening to the music that currently fills my iPod a couple years ago, songs like that would hit me at such a dizzying pace that I always had big expectations for what I was hearing next. Eventually, that brief time period ended and everything that came afterwards would be held to the same bar as the incredible songs I heard before. This leads me to “Miss K.” Since last year, I haven’t listened to Deer Tick at all. I was somewhat a fan after seeing them open for Dr. Dog, and based solely on that performance, decided it would be in my best interest to interview their front man, John McCauley, for The Temple News. The “interview” lasted roughly six awkward minutes before it was mercifully put down. In the following weeks I would blame it on McCauley’s unresponsiveness and the fact that my phone reception was terrible, but eventually I had to admit to myself that it was because I was (and still am) a terrible interviewer. After that tragic episode, I swore off Deer Tick, even though their blend of Replacements-meets-Buddy-Holly swagger is located directly up my alley. And then there was “Miss K.” I’m still not entirely sure how I came upon “Miss K.” It probably came up on one of the dumb music sites I make a point to check daily. As Deer Tick’s first single from their upcoming album, it’s getting the requisite amount of press that a band of their growing stature can attain. I listened to it once and was not struck by anything. I listened to it a second time and picked up on some nuances I missed the first time. Forty listens later and it had manifested itself from an unassuming folkrock number into a numbing pack of folk-rock leeches, latching onto my brain and promising to never release their hold. The song itself is a beauty of simplicity, mostly based on a strummed G chord. Lyrically, it falls under the “you could be so much happier if you were with me” umbrella of love songs. What does it for me is its lyrical melody. It’s assisted by a keyboard line that is indescribable in print and the melody is perfect. It’s perfect because it’s that rare type of melody that sounds like it’s been done a million, trillion times in the past, but hasn’t. It’s catchy without having to pander to a specific kind of catchiness. It sounds universal, like it could’ve been something couples danced to at Sadie Hawkins dances in the ‘60s, even though it came out a couple weeks ago. That, along with the aforementioned G-chord strumming and direct snare drum hit to keep the song in time combine to make something rare. This isn’t a song to sit and thoughtfully ponder. It makes me want to dance in my kitchen with someone I love. It makes me want to record a terrible cover version, put it on YouTube, and hope that someone searching for the original accidentally clicks on mine and enjoys themselves. Its cliché, but it makes me feel like I’m living. The great thing about loving a song unconditionally is that if you love it enough, no one can tell you anything about it that will make you dislike it. It doesn’t matter if its Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock” or whatever dumb buzz band’s song is trending on The Hype Machine this very instant, that kind of appreciation and adoration for a song is entirely infallible. That’s why I try to approach every song I hear with that attitude, that it could literally be the greatest song I will ever hear in my entire life. Of course, that thinking lets me down more times than not, but the negative is entirely outweighed by the positive when universes collide and a song is just that great. And to me, that’s “Miss K.” Now where’s my guitar? Kevin Stairiker can be reached at [email protected]. CLASSIFIED ads PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD WITH THE TEMPLE NEWS TODAY. FOR AD RATES, CALL: 215.204.9538 Can you name three core beliefs of almost all religions? All religions are not the same!!! One is totally different. Check out the Dichotomy of religious thinking? Let’s talk. [email protected] SLC welcomes students from around the World. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 11 STREET SOUNDS TOY SOLDIERS SETH KLINGER TTN (Left) Toy Soldiers performs at the WHYY Connections festival on Sept. 3 at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. (Right) Lead singer Ron Gallo plays guitar and harmonica in the Kimmel Center. TORI MARCHIONY The Temple News Toy Soldiers has come a long way since The Temple News’ first Street Sounds article on the “soul n’ blues” band comprised of Temple alumni. The band was already booking big venues in Philadelphia, and had been picked up by Derek Dorsey, booking agent for the Fire in Northern Liberties. Today, the band has been through a difficult transformation of sorts, and now centers around lead singer Ron Gallo. After falling in love with the big-band style they had achieved in the studio, the original duo invited 11 new members to accompany them on the road, not knowing that they would dissolve the group by the end of the tour. “Everything crumbled and fell apart,” Gallo said. “It needed to happen, it was a natural crumbling.” Gallo said the tour turned out to be a defining moment when he told himself, “Hey man, if you can get through this you can get somewhere.” After the band broke up, Gallo decided to continue as the Toy Soldiers with a close friend. Soon, a group of three more Lancaster-based musicians had joined the group. “Things were better than they ever were,” he said. So much better, in fact, that Gallo began songwriting with his bandmates for the first time. “I feel like we’re actually a band,” Gallo said. “It’s just high energy. It’s rootsy–we love soul music and old blues and all that stuff mixed with newer things. ” The comfort between the five-some is obvious from the stage, and shows are characterized to have an energetic, party feel. “We feed off the energy [and] most of the time we end up in the crowd. [We’re] blurring the lines between audience and band [and making it] one big collective experience,” Gallo said. Fun is definitely important to the Toy Soldiers after all its front man has been through. His goal for his music is simply “to be comfortable and in a good place,” but he said that, “With the state of the music world you can’t really think ahead or plan anything.” “The goal is to play every venue in Philadelphia,” Gallo added. “Philly isn’t really an industry landmark but there are a lot of friendships and collaborations. I like that everybody’s friends and there’s not really any level of competition.” The love from Philadelphia music enthusiasts as well as musician friends was this summer when the band played the Second Street Festival where “a crazy crowd” with “a great response” marked the pinnacle of the Toy Soldiers’ rebirth. “Where the band is now–as well as myself–we’ve grown so much. Two years later the growth is exponential,”Gallo said. To see them live, check out their show at Oktoberfest on Oct. 15 on South Street between Broad and 17th streets. Toy Soldiers also holds weekly live-video sessions produced by a Temple intern every Sunday at 3 p.m. on their website, ohnotoysoldiers.com. Tori Marchiony can be reached at [email protected]. Courtesy Ron Gallo Toy Soldiers performs at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, Pa. The original band members were from Lancaster and formed in 2007, and has performed in 15 states. Their next show is booked for Oct. 15 as part of Oktoberfest on South Street. PAGE 12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Bookstore acts as community center for GLBT people since the ‘70s GIOVANNI’S PAGE 9 After opening its initial South Street location in 1973, Hermance is able to recount the history and growth of the city’s GLBT community, playing a critical role in it himself for the last 38 years. He recalled the days when the now-thriving gay community was forced into the shadows, and the store was of one of the few gay-friendly businesses, even at its current location in the Gayborhood. According to Hermance, other places that initially offered a similar environment of acceptance opened the same year, including a gay coffee house, the switchboard and a Catholic organization for GLBT people. Hermance said 1973 was a big year in Philly for gay organizing. “The switchboard especially provided a resource but only between certain hours – we were here seven days a week,” Hermance said. “In the beginning there really was no other gay space that was public or people who would be reasonable to ask questions of. The bars [windows] were all blacked out, some of the time you wouldn’t even know if it was a business, no signs or nothing. In the old days people were desperate for information, and for some reflection of their lives. There’s still so much more than there was [in the past], we started with a few hundred books because there simply weren’t any.” Despite the change of scenery and the store’s success since then, that’s not to say there weren’t any obstacles creating the store that stands today. “Part of the identity of the store was to be public, but nobody would rent to us on a numbered street or trade name street [in the ‘70s],” Hermance said. After he and his partner briefly operated out of their next location, an old apartment building on Spruce Street, Hermance said they soon relocated after the owners of the building hated the store being there, and eventually said they didn’t want to rent to homosexuals. “That’s illegal now and basically that attitude is gone in Center City, but that was kind of just the reality, they really would only rent to us on backstreets,” Hermance said. Hermance explained that buying a property wasn’t really a possibility because of how little money the store was bringing in. So when it came time to place a downpayment on the current 345 S. 12th St. property, the money, and help with the much needed renovations, came from more 100 members of the gay community. Aside from the discrimination that was common during the time, a second snag in the growth of the store and gay community, according to Hermance, was the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, which he noted when summarizing the history of the store. “That was an overwhelming experience for everyone, especially in the beginning when nobody at the state, federal, local level would say anything; the government was paralyzed,” Hermance said. “There was no public health info published whatsoever for years, and during that time the gay community was obviously on its own.” Hermance said that the Philly gay community, as well as the store’s, response to the epidemic was to produce small, foldout booklets with information about how to practice safe sex. Congress condoned it in one session, the public health clinic at Broad and Lombard streets was forbidden to give any out, so people would come to the store, “stuff their pockets,” and distribute them. “It’s scary when the government is against you, not to mention the reason the government is against you,” Hermance said. “It was a pretty horrible time.” But out of adversity came a vibrant neighborhood center. Today, the community has rallied around the store once more, when Giovanni’s was required by the city to put up $50,000 for repairs and upgrades to the building’s facade. Because of its situation in a historical neighborhood, these general repairs become very expensive. Various fundraising efforts and donations have brought the store close to its fundraising goal. Hermance describes the situation as “very like those days when people were renting us the money for the downpayment on the building, and renovating it, working like dogs.” The decline of the publishing industry, coupled with the rise of Kindles and eBooks, also is a challenge faced by Giovanni’s Room. But Giovanni’s has kept with the times and entered the eBook realm, with more than two million of them available on its website. And Hermance said that any book found online can be called into the store and ordered. “In some ways the store is still unique in being a gay business in that what we sell is gay,” Hermance said. “There’s lots of gay friendly places and companies that are operated by [GLBT] folks in a way that was unimaginable not so long ago. But this is a store that is specifically, ‘this is what we do, this is what we have to say.’” Though its role continues to change, the store remains a source of knowledge and acceptance for GLBT people, both in the immediate area and from across the world. Giovanni’s acts as a tourist destination – a role that will likely increase with the dedication of a historical marker at the store at Outfest, on Oct. 9. Kara Savidge can be reached at [email protected]. KARA SAVIDGE TTN (Above) More than 1000 books and movies line the walls of Giovanni’s Room, a gay and lesbian bookstore. (Below) A flag flies in front of the store, which sits at 12th and Pine streets. Outfest predicts 40,000 attendees Outfest celebrations will be from noon to 6:00 p.m. Oct. 9 throughout the Gayborhood from 11th to 13th streets and Walnut to Spruce streets. JENELLE JANCI The Temple News Whether one is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or just a proud supporter of the GLBT community–Philadelphians can take advantage of Outfest, the world’s largest “coming out” event, happening Sun., Oct. 9. As part of National Coming Out Week celebrations being held Oct. 11-17, Outfest is a colorful block party in Philly’s Gayborhood, from 11th to 13th streets and Walnut to Spruce streets. The event will showcase the gay and lesbian businesses, bars and restaurants in Washington Square West. Outfest will be held from noon to 6 p.m. “[Outfest] gives people an opportunity to come out of the closet and be around thousands of other [GLBT] people,” executive director of Philly Pride Presents, Franny Price, said. This group organizes Outfest, the PrideDay Parade and Festival and other Philadelphia pride events. Outfest was inspired by the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on Oct. 11, 1987. Created by Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary, Outfest celebrates coming out in defense to anti-gay actions. In order to showcase the vibrant GLBT community in Philadelphia, Eichberg and O’Leary scheduled a block party. The celebration expanded to what is now Outfest. “It’s about coming out,” Price said. “It’s a celebration that just grew and grew and grew.” Outfest has no shortage of creative attractions, offering everything from a flea market and high-heel race to the “infamous” penis bagel eating contest. “The mechanical bull is a big draw,” Price said. Twelfth and Spruce streets will be host to a dance area, and 25 vendors will line the blocks. A health area will be available for those interested in STD screening and anonymous HIV testing. Breast exams and chest x-rays will also be available. Outfest is also family friendly–a children’s zone is offered, as well as a pet zone. The main stage located at 13th and Locust streets will have continuous entertainment. According to Philly Pride’s website, Mayor Michael Nutter will be speaking from the main stage. Forty-thousand attendees are expected. Outfest 2011 has several new attractions. The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts will be performing, and a historic marker dedication will take place at Giovanni’s Room. Giovanni’s Room is the country’s oldest gay and lesbian bookstore, founded in 1973. The dedication will be at 2:30 p.m. at 345 S. 12th St. Giovanni’s Room is the recipient of the 2011 Gilbert Baker National Out Proud Award. Jenelle Janci can be reached at [email protected]. ILLUSTRATION ANA TAMACCIO ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 PAGE 13 First Friday artists bring varied talents to Old City Sculptor Steve Blackburn and painter Catherine O’Connell discuss their work, which will be showcased at LGTripp Gallery Oct. 7. F irst riday PREVIEW ALEXANDRA OLIVIER The Temple News A performer works tirelessly on a routine so that on the day of the show their performance appears effortless to the audience. In the shoes of an artist, his or her performance is the presentation of their work at a gallery where they can be a part of the audience– the show takes place every First Friday. Artists Steve Blackburn, sculptor, and Catherine O’ Connell, painter, will both be showing new, original work at LGTripp Gallery located 47-49 N. Second St., from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 7. “First Fridays for an artist lets lots of people become exposed to different things that they probably wouldn’t see,” Blackburn said. Blackburn returned to art school with the help of his wife’s support and motivation after a 25-year hiatus working in the family trade business that included welding. He earned his degree at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts in 2001. Utilizing the skills he learned from working at the family business, he creates sculptures by gaining inspiration from almost anything. “Looking at shapes, forms and even animals– when you see something interesting and build off of what I’ve seen that’s typically how I get inspired,” Blackburn said. Looking at the shape of a room or personal experience can become a complex layer of colors or industrial sculpture. “It may be cliché, but from my life that is what I know. This particular body of work emerged from thinking about childhood memories,” O’Connell said in an email. “Everywhere I go I’m absorbing–spaces, colors, shapes, patterns, feelings. I walk and bike around Baltimore a good deal, so my immediate surroundings are really filtering into my drawings and therefore the paintings. It becomes a visual journal of my interactions with the city heavily mixed with memory.” O’Connell completed her undergraduate studies at Penn State and participated in Temple’s study abroad program in Rome. She lets her travels, education and personal experiences influence her art. Studying abroad allowed her to be immersed into a different type of art and lifestyle. “I think initially the impact was more technical, but over time the impact has become emotional,” O’Connell said. Both artists aren’t hoping that the audience walks away with an explicit message from their art, but that they simply enjoy the exhibit and connect to it on some level. “These pieces are kind of whimsical–kind of like my personality. I’m not doing it for the audience to find some type of meaning, but just because I found it appealing and hope they do, too,” Blackburn said. “I have no direct or specific intentions when making my work. I hope that people are drawn into the work and want to spend some time with it, whether they like it or not,” O’Connell added. “Perhaps it sparks a memory for them, or maybe it becomes a visual plane to get lost in. my biggest hope is that there is something unexpected and it grants the audience some space to think or feel.” Some other places to visit this First Friday: Rodger LaPelle Galleries 122 N. Third St. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Muse Gallery 52 N. Second St. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Courtesy LGTripp Gallery LGTripp Gallery on Second Street in Old City presents a collection of work from sculptor Steve Blackburn. His sculptures are three-dimensional constructions made from smaller parts. Alexandra Olivier can be reached at [email protected]. UNDER RADAR the SHAUNA BANNAN The Temple News The Ghosts Among Our Graves: A Paranormal Investigation of Laurel Hill / Oct. 8 / 6 p.m. /$30 general, $25 student / Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave. /thelaurelhillcemetery.org Take a walk on the scary side and join Free Spirit Paranormal Investigators as they reveal their chilling findings of Laurel Hill’s haunted history. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the basics of ghost hunting, as well as types of hauntings, equipment, space weather and psychic protection. Then, step into the shoes of a paranormal investigator and join the FSPI members as attendees get led on a real investigation through Laurel Hill’s most active areas. For someone who wasn’t a believer of the paranormal before, this program could change that. And with Halloween approaching, it’s the perfect chance to lift spirits–or perhaps the spirits of those six feet under. Wine and cheese will be served at the end of the program, for the sophisticated and legal crowd. Advanced registration is required. It’ll be one interesting and spooky night worth spending a few bucks on. 35th Annual Russian Festival / Oct. 7-9 / Friday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday: noon – 4 p.m. / FREE / Saint Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, 335 Fairmount Ave. / saintmichaelsroc.org Music, food, arts and the faith of Old Russia–it’s free, fun and attendees don’t even have to be Russian to enjoy the event. Come out and try traditional ethnic foods, Russian tea and sweets, homemade pastries and breads, and enjoy live entertainment featuring Russian folk music and a performance by St. Michael’s Youth Dancers. Explore the church and learn about Old Russian imports, including dolls, decorated eggs, historic books, art and much more. This free, three-day event is perfect for anyone. Bring friends and invite family. Even if you just go for the food, you’re bound to see something that catches your eye. So, get out of your little apartment or dorm room and let some new culture into your life. First Person Arts StorySlams: Close Calls / Oct. 10 / 8:30 p.m. / $10 / World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. / firstpersonarts.org Improv Comedy: The N Crowd / Oct. 7 / 8 p.m. /$10 online, $15 at the door / 257 N. Third St. / phillyncrowd. com Do you have a story to tell? Here’s your chance. StorySlams are the perfect way to share a little bit about your life with everyone else. Here’s how it works: Members of the audience become storytellers and share true stories from their lives based on the night’s theme, in this case: “Close Calls.” Ten people are chosen at random from those that sign up. Each storyteller has just five minutes on the mic to impress the crowd with their story. Audience members are also chosen to judge each performer on a 10-point scale. The best storyteller wins the golden ticket–a chance to compete in the Grand Slam. Performers in the Grand Slam will compete with other top storytellers for the honorable title of “Best Storyteller in Philadelphia.” Sounds pretty awesome, right? If you have a story to tell, sign up at the door. As if you won’t be enjoying the night already, there will be $3 Yuengling draft specials. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., slam begins at 8:30 p.m. Grab some friends and head to the Actors Center for a night of laughs with The N Crowd. The short-form improv comedy troupe has been entertaining Philly folk since 2005 with a different show every week. They perform improv based on suggestions from the audience, so have a few obnoxious ideas in mind to yell out. What’s better than watching people make fools of themselves on command? Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets sell out fast. Lay off the books and the booze for a night and engage yourself in some legal fun with The N Crowd. Shauna Bannan can be reached at [email protected]. LIVING PAGE 14 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Magic cast onto Main Campus The Harry Potter club, though not yet registered through Student Activities, aims to continue the legacy of the novels and movies for younger generations in the city. LAUREN HERTZLER The Temple News With more than 100 students now interested, Main Campus’ first Harry Potter club–based on the seven-part book and movie series is in the process of becoming a registered organization through the university. The Harry Potter club held its first general meeting on Sept. 26, at the Bell Tower. Students gathered around Hined Rafeh, a sophomore pre-medical major wearing her wizard hat and batting her wand, talking of her ideas for the year. Rafeh, the brains behind the new organization, said, “We have a lot of plans, [and] we want to see how this works out.” Rafeh began talking about the club last year with friends she met in her science classes. With a mutual love for Harry Potter, they all thought it sounded like a great idea, but never thought they would actually follow through with it. “We were laughing our butts off because we were thinking, ‘No way this would never happen, it’s way too nerdy,’” Rafeh said. But as word got out, the idea became more popular, and Rafeh decided to progress with the Harry Potter club. After bringing up Harry Potter in chemistry class, Dr. Andrew Price agreed to be the group’s advisor. During the Spring 2011 semester, Rafeh made a Facebook page to attract members. The group began with approximately 10 members, but when Rafeh returned from summer vacation, the group had expanded to more than 100 members. “We couldn’t believe it,” Rafeh said. The group has not yet been approved through Student Activities, but if it isn’t, it wouldn’t be because of the level of student interest. There were approximately 40 attendees at Monday’s meeting within the first hour. “I honestly think if we can have this many people at every meeting, this group is definitely going to be a success,” Rafeh said. [The Harry Potter club] is taking it to the next level,” sophomore English and Spanish major Jaleh Najafali said. “It’s more than just a book club.” Some plans for the year include a Halloween party, quidditch team, bake sales and more. Rafeh said she hopes to spread the magic to children in Philadelphia by having the group participate in book charities and toy funds. “We really want to just give other children the kind of childhood that we had,” Rafeh said. Sophomore pre-pharmacy major Danielle Demauro was voted secretary of the group because of her strong organizational skills. “I can definitely keep up with forms, emails and applications. I can probably keep it very organized,” Demauro said. Demauro, Rafeh and other officers in the club, plan to sort each participant into Hogwarts houses with strategic quizzes, similar to Pottermore, an online Harry Potter experience. “[The Harry Potter books] bring a group of people that you wouldn’t think could be friends with each other, around each other,” Demauro said. Demauro assured members they do not have to be die-hard Harry Potter fans to join the club. “Now that [the series] is over, this is a way for us to kind of relive our childhood, and who doesn’t want to do that?” Demauro said. “I think this club is good because it’s a great place for nerdy people to get together in a cool setting,” Najafali added. Lauren Hertzler can be reached at [email protected]. Illustration Alexis Sachdev LIVING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 PAGE 15 Remain sensitive to sensitivities TOUGH LOVE Outside a South Philly corner store one night, I was explaining a little about myself to a guy, and the conversation went like this: “I dated DANA RICCI a girl like you before. I broke Dana Ricci up with her,” he said. discusses the “Why?” difficulty she “It was just faces due too damn difficult.” to her food I was disallergy, and cussing with him (as I so how to date do those with charmingly sometimes in meetallergies. ing people) my food allergies, particularly my allergy to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It is responsible for the elasticity in dough and the fact that myself, and many others with an allergy or intolerance to it like people with celiac disease, are “difficult.” This is because we can’t eat bread, pasta and baked goods. We usually can’t drink beer, and gluten is hidden in tons of other unexpected things like soups, sauces and salad dressings. Food sensitivities are becoming increasingly common in making people difficult. There are a number of studies out there, some estimating that almost 25 percent of adults have some sort of food sensitivity. In addition to that, there are many people who have strong diet preferences, such as vegetarianism. Eating is a big part of dating. Going out for lunch, drinks, dinner, cooking a meal together, having a picnic, whatever–food is a focus of many dates and get-togethers. If you’re dating someone with dietary restrictions, there are some things you may want to consider: First, do not make the person feel like their diet makes them tricky, demanding or just plain weird. It’s bad enough to ask a waitress to ask the chef for every last ingredient in a dish to assure the meal won’t bring on anaphylactic shock or uncomfortable hours on the toilet. People with food sensitivities don’t need to be reminded that sometimes they’re tough to feed. If you’re out to eat with a diet-sensitive date, you will probably make them feel uncomfortable if you fuss over asking the waitress to read all the ingredients in the salad dressings. If you’re cooking for someone, try not to complain about how you had to go all the way to the Forbidden Forest and back to find an egg replacement or xanthan gum. Second, avoid talking about how much you love eating the stuff they can’t. If you really love ice cream and would much rather be at Franklin Fountain with your lactose-intolerant date, keep it to yourself. It seems obvious, but I feel like people try to identify with me by telling me that they feel bad for me because they really love pizza–or anything else they like to eat for that matter–and it’s such a shame I can’t eat it. While sympathy is hit or miss, teasing people about how much they’re missing out on all of your favorite foods probably won’t come across as cute. If you really want to be cute, do a little research and look for some places where diet-sensitive foods can be purchased or ordered. One of my favorite restaurants to go to is Sazón on 10th and Spring Garden streets. The couple who owns this Venezuelan restaurant is really understanding of food allergies and special diets. They have quite a few gluten-free options and even more vegetarian options. You can also order certain things on the menu to fit your needs, if you just let them know ahead of time. Also, if you stay away from the specialty drinks and hot chocolates, it’s relatively inexpensive. Plus, it’s BYOB. Another great option is Sweet Freedom Bakery located at 1424 South St. Everything made in this place is glutenfree, vegan, dairy-free, corn-free, soyfree, refined-sugar-free, peanut-free, egg-free, kosher and out-of-this-world delicious. I’ve brought my friends without allergies there and they’ve enjoyed it as much as they would any other bakery. Plus, they’ve been on the Food Network. Ooh. People with food sensitivities may be “difficult,” but understanding what they can and cannot eat can earn you major points whether you’re at a restaurant, cooking, or at a bring-yourown-lunch picnic, fitting for any college budget. Dana Ricci can be reached at [email protected]. Brianna Edwards Columnist encourages coming out QCHAT BRANDON BAKER Columnist Brandon Baker encourages coming out and applauds Temple’s strong GLBT and GLBT-friendly community. It isn’t uncommon to hear gays and lesbians of yesteryear recant stories of when they came out and look back on their college years as their most productive in the “outing” process. But even as these generations phase out and new ones move in with changing social norms and new means of communication, some things just don’t change. There is a good reason why these people reflect on their college years when they consider their coming out stories: the years you spend in college are some of the most formative in pinpointing identity and the personality traits that make you, well, you. I’ve read countless stories now of youth that decide to come out at an increasingly younger age. Some slap on the label as early as 13 years old. While I’m all for raising the rate of people who come out of the closet in general, I must say I am slightly irked that today’s youth feels the need to unnecessarily identify themselves with a group at such an early age. While a 13-year-old can grasp the basic gist of whether they like looking up the cheerleaders’ skirts or turning their heads as the bubblebutt football player hustles by, he or she cannot determine the complexities and gray area that lie within the nature of sexuality. I cannot truthfully say that my sexual interests have remained constant over the past year, let alone the past seven. Nonetheless, if you’re a 16-year-old who feels comfortable with your sexuality and is comfortable with talking about it, I would never discourage such a decision. However, I would advise those who have since held off on coming out to consider the point in their lives they currently stand in, and analyze what that may mean for their future in the GLBT world. Temple offers something many college campuses do not: a safe haven when it is most needed. Through my travels, I still have not found a university so wonderfully diverse and willing to bring GLBT issues to the forefront of the discussion. If you’re gay and closeted, I can guarantee you relative safety and comfort in an environment where you won’t just be tolerated, you’ll be embraced with love. Coming out as a college student means opening a door of possibility that may not be quite as easily opened in the years to follow. If opening this door now is the equivalent of stepping out into a sunlit, flower-laden garden, opening this door post-graduation may mean thrusting open a jammed door into a messy bedroom filled with dirty laundry. Your ability to learn, to grow and to welcome your sexuality and newfound identity is bolstered by the nurturing people and general community that surround you. As Temple’s GLBT community pushes through this year’s National Coming Out Week, I encourage the loud and proud to draw on their coming out stories as a means for inspiration for those who have yet to find the strength to turn on their own voice box. Prove to these people my point made from this column, that the strength and compassion of a community like Temple’s can overcome any barrier of silence with a tale of triumph. Brandon Baker can be reached at [email protected]. Get off campus Columnist Matthew Flocco advises students to explore the city outside of Main Campus. MATTHEW FLOCCO In his 15-part series, Matt Flocco gives freshmen a slice of wisdom each week. My absolute favorite thing about studying at Temple is living in Philadelphia. Hands down. It is actually the reason I chose Temple over Pitt. As a freshman I went to Drexel, and I fell in love with this city so much that I couldn’t look at any other place when transferring. I mean, there is the University of Pennsylvania, but I would have to live off McDonald’s the rest of my life to afford tuition. Unfortunately, because Temple is a bit farther away from Center City, not as many students venture there as often. As a freshman, exploring Philadelphia is essential. The city, set up on a grid, is extremely easy to get around. Most of the best places to explore can be easily reached by the subway. Here are the givens that you already should know about. If you don’t, then we have a problem: Old City, City Hall, Rittenhouse Square, South Street, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Love Park. What you may not know is that some of the best events are held at these places. City Hall has now been renovated and is home to skateboarders and tourists galore. The best time to visit is during the holiday season when there is a tree in the middle and a Christmas Village out front. Every student should also go to South Street. Condom Kingdom is the best. South Street is like the Venice Beach of Los Angeles. Every other store is a smoke shop or a sex shop. Penn’s Landing is one of the best places to go at night if you are looking for a cheap date. Just watch out for the smell of weed or couples vigorously making out. If you are one of those couples, tell people to watch out for you. Here are some underrated areas: Fairmount Waterworks, Fairmount Park, Spring Garden Street and any of the bridges on the Schuylkill River. During the day and late afternoon, even early evening, these places are absolutely beautiful to walk through. At night, just make sure you’re with friends. Philadelphia is an absolutely incredible city to go to school in. Whether you are into art, music, theater, baseball, football, photography, pizza, cheesesteaks, Italian food or Chinese food, there is so much to explore in such a condensed area. Take advantage of this city. Let your feet and your instincts guide you. Temple is great, but only because it’s a part of Philly. Matthew Flocco can be reached at [email protected]. NICHOLAS DEROOSE TTN KATHERINE LYNN PERRY The Temple News Not to be overshadowed by the endless number of organizations at Main Campus is the Queer Student Union, which is deeply involved in the GLBT community both inside and outside of Temple. Sophomore advertising major Brianna Edwards holds the position of QSU president and is hoping the organization has an extremely successful year. The Temple News sat down with Edwards to talk about her involvement in QSU and what events organization members have planned for the school year and about National Coming Out Week. The Temple News: When did you first decide to get involved in Queer Student Union? Brianna Edwards: Right from the beginning when I started college. I was very involved in high school. I was the Gay/ Straight Alliance president. So, I just kind of naturally found this club. I ran for the graphics and media chair and [by] my third meeting I got it. TTN: How did you work your way up to the position of president? BE: Well, I did a lot of work as the graphic and media chair, just making sure to be at all the meetings and all the executive board meetings. We did a lot of work at the end of the year with transitional leadership. Our president was stepping down, since he was in his senior year. The position was open and I kind of just ran. TTN: Since being a part of QSU, what is one of your most memorable experiences? BE: Well, I definitely loved National Coming Out Week last year. I thought that was a lot of fun. And our meetings are also a lot of fun. TTN: As president, what preparations did you take for NCOW? BE: It’s just been a lot of reading emails, staying intouch and staying informed about what is going on. We try to help out as much as we can. Rodney Prad is our advisor and he’s been pretty much leading the National Coming Out Week events and scheduling. So, just keeping in-touch with him. He usually speaks at most of our meetings about a couple of things, too. TTN: What events did you participate in during last year’s NCOW? BE: Last year, I went to the coming out stories, where Babel [Temple’s Poetry Collective] was there, and then everyone had a chance to share. I really loved that. TTN: Do you plan on participating in similar events this year? BE: Pretty much. I’m definitely looking forward to the panel. There is going to be a diversity panel. I just know that is going to be really interesting for people to hear. TTN: What message would you like students to take from NCOW? BE: I’d like them to know that it is OK to be who you are in Temple’s environment. Even though there are a lot of people that don’t necessarily always see eye-to-eye, I think Temple has made a pretty great achievement just to be able to host this event and allow students to feel comfort in coming out. TTN: Would you give students similar advice who are curious in QSU? BE: Yes. [Last Wednesday] was actually our student organization fair by the Bell Tower. A lot of students were coming up and were like, “What does the Queer Student Union do?” And I am just telling them that we strive to make sure that we are a part of Temple’s community and that we are a part of Philadelphia’s community, and that everyone feels safe, comfortable and that we are trying to work and make this environment and community a better place. Katherine Lynn Perry can be reached at [email protected]. LIVING PAGE 16 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Better body image eases quitting for smokers 8-Step Program For Learning To Like Your Looks.” Participants in the group were given smoking patches and attended weekly group sessions and check-ins to observe behavioral changes and progress. The workbook is based on TINA DISERAFINO psychological theories and inThe Temple News depth research in order to help promote ways to create positive The Independence Blue body images. Throughout the Cross Fitness Center was buzz- book, Cash walks his readers ing with students getting their through eight significant steps workout on last Thursday after- in order to achieve a positive noon. As a crowd of girls waited body image. The steps consist for the group fitness class “In- of keeping diaries and food terval Blast” to start, Kelsey journals, recognizing what each Swierczek, a senior finance ma- participant would like to change jor, looked horrified. about themselves and changing “I am scared of exercising life habits through cognitive because I smoke too many ciga- reconstruction. It also consists rettes. I feel like even walking of simple exercises in which up a flight of stairs leaves me study participants were asked to out of breath,” Swierczek said. complete throughout the eight “It is hard to quit knowing that weeks. I will gain some weight back on Technology also played an so I continue the habit.” important role throughout this Swierczek is one of the study. Napolitano and staff used many girls on Main Campus technology, such as text meswho feels smoking affects her saging and Blackboard as a tool physical endurance while exer- to motivate the participants and cising. interact with each other about Dr. Melissa Napolitano, their experience. It was a way clinical psychologist at the Cen- to use the Internet for a resource ter of Obesity Research and and to share informational tips Education, who is also an as- on weight loss and give encoursociate professor in the depart- agement to the students being ment of kinesiology and public studied. health, said she At the end of feels all female the study, surveys students need to showed that 72 perstart somewhere cent of participants when it comes to said that using techexercising. nology throughout Napolitano the study was helpjoined Temple in ful. 2006 when the The second Center of Obegroup was “Exersity Research and cise Intervention.” Education was The goal of this established. Her program was to interests in pracevaluate the postices have focused sibility that exBlah / TTN Designers on promoting ercising could be healthy behavioral changes and another outlet to help females smoking cessation. maintain an ideal weight rather “Smoking cigarettes is a than smoking to keep the weight way to maintain an ideal weight off. because the nicotine can curve The exercise group met for your appetite,” Napolitano said, 45 minutes and was taught by a citing the fear of gaining weight fitness instructor. The exercise that can ensue. classes consisted of aerobic “Today, society’s ideal dance among other exercises to body image is what we see in give each individual a challengthe media,” Napolitano added. ing workout. The instructor also “Women in magazines and on taught the female students how television are often what young to target ideal heart rates and infemales strive to look like.” sure proper intensity of activity. In 2000, a study conducted Each female participant had a at Brown University’s School of goal to reach 60 to 85 percent of Medicine found that young fe- their maximal heart rate based males who smoke are less satis- on their age, which was recomfied with their appearance than mended by the U.S. Department non-smokers. These females of Health and Human Services. suffer from low self-esteem, With a goal of exercising three dieting behaviors and weight times a week, the participants concerns. were asked to also keep a jourAccording to the “Journal nal of recorded exercises. of Applied Social Psychology,” At the end of the eight 20 percent to 34 percent of col- weeks, Napolitano and her college students smoke cigarettes. leagues found that participants The study also found that 90 in the body image group lost percent of daily smokers and roughly three pounds at the end 50 percent of social smokers in of treatment compared to only college will continue to smoke an average of 0.9 pounds for the after the end of their college ca- exercise group. Of participants reers. in the body image group, 18.2 Napolitano recently con- percent of them quit smoking ducted an eight-week protocol compared to 10 percent of the consisting of two intervention exercise group participants. groups of female college stuAlthough a small sample dents ages 18 to 21 who smoked size was studied, it still eviat least one pack per week. The denced that there was progress study monitored female smok- made. Overall, both groups ers with two different treat- taught participants how to cope ments to target ways to enhance with maintaining a positive a satisfied body image. Napoli- body image in a more positive tano was assisted by Elizabeth way and gave hope for more E. Lloyd-Richardson, Joseph L. success in further research. Fava and Bess H. Marcus. “I think this study is a great For this study, 35 females way to show college girls there were assorted into two groups are other ways to feel better that represented two different about themselves,” Swierczek interventions in order to see said. “I also think that regular what strategy was more effec- exercising would lead me to tive. These selected females quit smoking because I would were concerned with their want to stop unhealthy habits.” weight and also had a smoking “I quit smoking a long addiction. time ago, but one of the many The first group, “Body Im- reasons I started the habit was age Group,” was assigned to because it would keep me from take on a strategy of self-mon- being hungry when I didn’t itoring and mental techniques have time to eat,” Amanda Harfor smoking cessation. vey, a recent graduate from the The group was guided by School of Communications and Thomas Cash’s book, “The Theater, said. Body Image Workbook, an For future plans, Napolita- A recent study found women have an easier time qutting cigarettes with an improved perception of body. “There will be cases where someone says something very notable. You will put it here.” no looks forward to continuing her research with smoking cessation and helping others maintain a positive body image. “We think it’s exciting to find ways to make others feel better about themselves,” Napolitano said. With a goal to help others find self-happiness and a healthy lifestyle, Napolitano said she plans to construct a focus on ways to promote health on the Internet through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Tina Diserafino can be reached at [email protected]. IAN WATSON TTN Study proves women have a more difficult time quitting smoking when they maintain a negative body image, for fear of gaining excess weight. LIVING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 GBF stereotype deemed wrong Mark Longacre One night last semester, I had a couple of shots in my system at a party. Needless to say, I was feeling good. There was a girl behind me in line for the bathroom who laughed at a snarky comment I made about the clashing, navy blue curtains and black couch, which got us talking. She said something along the lines of, “You are so cute. I wish I had a gay best friend like you.” Wait, excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? It’s not the first time I heard the title ‘gay best friend,’ but it was the first time I had someone say it to me. At the time I didn’t really care because, let’s face it, I didn’t really care about anything. But the next day I started thinking about the idea of the gay best friend and how demeaning it is. Sometimes homosexual men or women will make friends with the opposite sex because their personalities are drawn to each other, and I have no problem with that. The issue lies with people who seek out that token gay best friend or, in my case, assume a gay man will automatically befriend you because of one aspect of his personality. This girl assumed I would fulfill this ideal, stereotypical image of a gay best friend despite knowing nothing about me, and she completely commodified me based on one aspect of my personality. Rather than take the time to try to understand what I’m actually like, she labeled me as gay and as- sumed I would be her gay best friend. It’s as if people have this idea that all gay men are the same. Gay men are supposed to like fashion, sex, clubbing and alcohol, and because some gay men like those things, all gay men are automatically a potential gay best friend waiting to be cast into that role. Normally, people say they don’t feel much prejudice being a gay man in an urban environment in 2011, but I completely disagree. The gay best friend is the epitome of stereotyping because it doesn’t allow room for any individuality. =While some gay men are interested in fashion, sex, clubbing and alcohol, some run for Congress and others train for marathons. We are all very unique, despite being attracted to the same sex. What makes the situation worse is the fact that people think having a gay best friend makes them seem completely accepting of homosexuality, and they’ll go so far as to introduce someone as their gay best friend to show how comfortable they really are with it. The gay best friend pandemic of 2011 is similar to the “Seinfeld” episode “The Outing,” which aired in 1993. The cast discussed homosexuality, and after each comment they said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” If they said it once or twice, I wouldn’t have thought anything about it considering it was a ‘90s sitcom, but the quote must have been repeated 15 times. While it was mostly for comedic effect, the repetition showed that even though people act as if they’re comfortable with homosexuality, deep down they’re actually not. The gay best friend is a very similar concept. There shouldn’t be a need to say anything about someone being gay when it’s completely irrelevant. The awkward emphasis on PAGE 17 Advocating community support sexuality makes the person introducing their best friend seem like they’re secretly uncomfortable and must make it known that their friend is gay. When a friend of mine introduces me to someone, they introduce me as their friend Mark, not their gay friend Mark. Introducing me their gay friend marginalizes me into the gay-best-friend category and puts an emphasis that isn’t needed on my sexuality, much like the “Seinfeld” episode. Rather than trying to show acceptance of homosexuality by going overboard and making it a known topic, talk about it when necessary. I don’t have a problem discussing my sexuality, but it also doesn’t have to be part of my title. My friends wouldn’t introduce me as a gay fashion columnist, a gay student or a gay runner, because my sexuality and my titles aren’t relevant to each other, so why introduce me as their gay best friend? The heterosexual community needs to understand that discussing sexuality doesn’t mean constantly bringing it up, but rather, bringing it up when it matters. If someone were to say something rude about homosexuality, that’s an appropriate time to say, “I have a best friend who is gay,” not “a gay best friend.” The subtle arrangement of words changes the meaning greatly. A gay best friend is a best friend who fits all the stereotypical gay qualities, but a best friend who is gay is a best friend who happens to be homosexual. It shows that while they are attracted to the same sex, it’s simply only one part of their personality. -Mark Longacre Cary Carr My best friends are not only strong, unique and intelligent, but also are dependable through everything. They have helped me through my weakest moments and reminded me that my future is bright. They never once judged me for my mistakes, flaws or sensitivity, but instead believed in me when no one else did. On top of all that, they are by far the most wild and hilarious group of people I have ever known. The fact that the majority of them are from the GLBT community only makes me appreciate them more. I met my circle of friends in grade school and we formed instant bonds. We grew up together, too young for sexuality to be an issue. We didn’t know gay or straight. All we knew was that we were the weird kids, and we cherished it. When we made it to high school, things started to change. My friends began to find themselves. They started to come out and openly talk about their attractions to the same sex. I didn’t mind that I was “the straight friend,” because at a time when insecurities were at a peak and a secure self of identity is hard to come across, we understood each other. We helped one another grow. Unfortunately, we went to a rather conservative high school. I started to notice that people referred to my friends as “the gay kids.” I listened to others giving underhanded comments in the hallways and saying derogatory terms under their breath. It infuriated me. I wondered why sexuality mattered when it had absolutely no bearing on what beautiful people they were. But the ironic thing is my friends weren’t affected as much as I seemed to be. While I was defensive, they let others’ insolence empower them. They stayed strong to who they were, not letting the ignorance of homophobia intimidate them. I specifically remember a time we all went to a nearby shopping mall. One of my best friends Billy was wearing a fluorescent rainbow sweatshirt and pink shorts. His hair also had hot pink streaks in at the time. He walked through the stores, head held high, laughing and making jokes as usual. But I noticed something strange–people were staring at him, pointing and whispering. Becoming increasingly annoyed, I gave these strangers dirty looks, warning them to look the other way. I felt like I needed to protect Billy from their ill-placed judgments, but in all reality, he didn’t even notice. He was so comfortable in his own skin that the people gawking at him faded in the background. Billy’s just one example of an inspirational member of the GLBT community, but I can’t even express how proud I am of all my friends. Their struggles and triumphs make them such powerful and passionate people. They each have an individual story and unique obstacles they have overcome–obstacles that most of us will never have to face. When other people didn’t understand them and questioned them, they remained sturdy in their principles. When they were terrified to tell their families, they found the courage to do so. They don’t let what society expects of them change their plans, and that’s what makes them role models to all young people who ever feared or fear coming out. I also feel privileged to go to Temple where diversity is celebrated, not put down. I met so many more GLBT friends here, including my former three roommates. There’s a true sense of gay pride here, which needs to extend beyond campus, into the city and across the country. The straight community needs to come together and help their GLBT friends and family members in their fight. Being gay friendly isn’t really an option anymore. It’s necessary to stop the discrimination, hatred and fear that causes so many problems in society. As more members of the GLBT community come out, proud of their sexuality, we can all form an alliance and fight together not just for gay marriage, but for equality–something that is supposed to be guaranteed. This is the 21st century. Let’s start acting like it. -Cary Carr “We didn’t know gay or straight. All we knew was that we were the weird kids, and we cherished it.” Coming out should be done on one’s own time LUIS FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ I came out for the first time when I was a junior in high school. Like most things in my life, it was on a whim and done as passive aggressively as possible. I was in the school gym with one of my friends who was a senior. She was openly gay and very easy to talk to about anything. I started asking her questions about her coming-out process, just feigning enough interest to where I wasn’t sounding like I wanted coming out advice since I still hadn’t told anyone I was gay. After she told me a few details, I started to consider telling her. Obviously if I told her I was gay she would keep my secret safe, and I’d finally have someone to talk about this thing I’ve been struggling with internally for basically my whole life. Rewind to only one year prior to coming out. I had finally come out to myself and accepted that I was gay. I toyed around with the idea of maybe-kinda-sortapossibly being bisexual, then after about a day of that nonsense I realized I probably maybe-kindasorta-possibly needed to get over myself and just accept the facts. I liked boys and it wasn’t the end of the world. So back to one year later when I’m finally feeling ready to tell someone I’m gay, I decide to go about it in my own passiveaggressive way. I really hate having to make emotional, formal announcements and I cringe every time I watch television shows and see gay characters come out in the most emotional ways. There would be so many tears and yelling. I didn’t want any of that, I was going to beat around the bush and make her ask me. Very mature, I know. I started asking her about how her parents handled it, if she was still close to her siblings and if she lost any friends over it. It seemed like for the most part she had a pretty good experience. That’s not to say she didn’t have any low points. Many questions and hints later I finally got her to ask me about my sexuality. She asked, “Are you ‘bi?’” Really? I eventually said under my breath, “I’m gay.” It was very surreal because those words had never really been spoken–typed in gay teen chat forums maybe–but never spoken. I was able to tell maybe two more people that year, and then most of my close friends a year after that. Somehow I even got a boyfriend out of it my senior year and I was happy at school. I still never had to have that emotional coming out, I would just let the rumors spread and casually mention it in conversation. Sometimes if people asked me I would just say, “I’m not going to lie to you,” and then walk away, letting them come to their own conclusions. I was so mature. It was a good strategy I had going and I still was able to avoid drama. Now that I’m in college I consider myself to be openly gay, and am very involved with a lot of GLBT groups, even serving on the executive board of one of the Main Campus organizations. Deciding to have very casual coming out experiences has stopped me from coming out to my parents. I don’t re- ally want them to know, because even though I’m ready to tell them, I don’t necessarily think they’re ready. I never thought I’d be able to tell my parents because I knew my coming out to them would probably be what I’ve always dreaded, very emotional, awkward and probably followed by a lot of silence. My parents are actually pretty liberal but very conservative when it comes to sexual orientation. They just don’t understand it, which is OK because they’re from a different time and from different countries than I am. When my father helped me move into my place this past June I was sort of dreading it because I knew he was going to meet my friends and roommates who are all gay. He stayed in the city for three days, never said anything and I thought I was in the clear. My big gay bubble burst a couple of weeks before the semester started. I received a phone call from my father at 1 a.m. He sounded like he had something very serious on his mind. He started talking about how after he met my friends and realizing I was living with gay guys he had been bothered by it. He said he wouldn’t know what to do if I told him I was gay. Then he asked me not to tell him. My father went on to say he was ‘old school’ and that it didn’t mean he didn’t love me, he just didn’t understand homosexuality. Oh and he said, “Don’t tell your mother we had this conversation.” I told him I understood and I wouldn’t go into details about my personal life. I’d basically just keep doing what I’m doing. Now when I tell my friends about my father they ask me if it upsets me at all that he doesn’t want to know. It’s actually kind of a relief. My father still loves me and supports me in school, which is all that really matters to me right now. Forcing him to accept me being gay would be like him forcing me to deny my sexuality. It’s not right and it’s nice to have some sort of understanding. People come out because they think it’s important for people to know but at the same time they need to remember it doesn’t have to be a priority. Even though I’m still not out to my family, unless they read this essay in which case, “¡Hola!” it doesn’t mean I’m any less comfortable with my sexuality or ashamed of it. We shouldn’t rush to come out because it’s, ‘what we’re supposed to do.’ I’ll eventually tell my mother, siblings and extended family not only when I’m ready but when I know they’re ready, too. It’s not only about me–their feelings also need to be accounted for. Now, this isn’t scripture and I know other people in the community might have a different take on it, but this is my formula and its worked for me so far. I’m a proud openly gay male, no matter how many people I choose to come out to. -Luis Fernando Rodriguez SPORTS Field hockey suffers fifth-straight loss PAGE 18 Despite leading at the half, the Owls fall 3-2 against American. HAYLEY CONDON The Temple News Field hockey suffered a 3-2 loss to American on Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C., as Temple was outshot 3-20 in their fifthstraight loss. Three minutes into the first half, Owls’ senior forward Caryn Lambright was able to beat Eagles’ sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Dalisera to put the Owls up by one. Despite numerous shots on goal and a 5-2 margin in penalty corners, American was unable to capitalize on any of their opportunities in the first half, allowing the Owls to keep their lead going into halftime. “We had a strong first half,” coach Amanda Janney said. “We came out with a lot of intensity.” In the second period, the Eagles were able to increase their intensity on offense. After 44 minutes of play, Eagles’ sophomore forward Jaclyn Anspach took advantage of a deflected shot and fired the ball past Owls’ sophomore goalkeeper Lizzy Millen to even the score. The American offense would continue to strike against a hapless Temple defense. Eleven minutes after Anspach’s goal, senior defender Tatum Dyer was able to give American its first lead of the game on a converted penalty stroke. At the 59 minute mark, the Owls fell to an even larger deficit when Eagles’ freshman midfielder Canon Hirschler scored on a rebound to give American a twogoal lead. However, the Owls did not go down quietly. With less than two minutes left in regulation, freshman midfielder Amber Youtz scored on Temple’s final shot of the game to pull the Owls within one. After removing Millen in the final seconds TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 to gain an extra attack player on offense, the Owls were unable to score again and the Eagles would go on to win the match, 3-2. Janney had some positive things to say about Owls’ junior forward Katie Briglia despite the loss. “[Briglia] had one of her best games of the season,” Janney said. Briglia, who assisted on the Lambright goal to help Temple take an early lead, was pleased with the team’s overall performance regardless of the score. “Our overall hustle was really strong today,” Briglia said. “We’ll continue to learn from our mistakes [to get ready] for the [Atlantic Ten Conference].” The Owls, 3-9 in their preconference games, will face crosstown A-10 rival St. Joseph’s on Friday. The matchup will be the first of the Owls’ six conference games this month. Hayley Condon can be reached at [email protected]. JAZMYNE ANDERSON TTN (Clockwise from top) Freshman forward Amber Youtz, sophomore forward Lauren Hunt, freshman midfielder Nicole Kroener, and senior forward Caryn Lambright. Turnovers costly for Owls Runners trek muddy race The men and women’s cross country teams compete at Lehigh. DANIEL CRAIG The Temple News JAZMYNE ANDERSONTTN Redshirt-senior quarterback Chester Stewart hands the ball off to junior running back Matt Brown in a series against Toledo last Saturday. Brown rushed for a season-low six yards. end Adrian Robinson said. “I know that we will get this fixed. We didn’t come out and play like we usually play.” “I keep hearing questions about them, but it’s us that messed up,” Robinson added. “We didn’t do what we needed to do and that’s why they beat us.” Stewart would throw another interception later in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand for the fourth turnover. Pierce finished with 75 yards on 24 carries and was held scoreless after scoring five times against Maryland a FOOTBALL PAGE 20 week before. The offensive line seemed to have trouble opening holes for Pierce and the run game was abandoned altogether in the second half as the offense was forced to play catch up unlike last week when they led the entire game against Maryland. “To have a big win like we did against Maryland, you worry about guys getting big heads and taking teams lightly,” Owls’ senior offensive lineman John Palumbo said. “We definitely didn’t adjust the way I hoped. “I didn’t see a demeanor in everybody,” Palumbo added. “It was kind of flat.” Addazio emphasized after that game that as tough as it was, it wasn’t a game that makes or break the season. “You have to learn how to play out front,” Addazio said. “That’s something I think we still have work to do on.” “College football is fragile,” Addazio added. “I tell the team that all the time. Every week you have to prepare with a chip on your shoulder and with an edge. If you don’t it can be very humbling.” With rain blanketing the Northeast this past week, Lehigh University’s Murray H. Goodman campus was left with a soft, muddy terrain. But that didn’t stop the Owls’ men and women’s cross country teams from competing in Lehigh’s annual Paul Short Invitational last Friday in Bethlehem, Pa. “That’s why it’s cross country,” coach Eric Mobley said. “Everybody has to run in the same conditions.” With almost 150 colleges and nearly 100 high schools competing, the course’s already swampy condition was bogged down by the hundreds of runners who competed there last Friday. “Looking at where most of our runners were, it probably slowed them down between 40 seconds to a minute,” assistant coach Matt Jelley said. “This is usually a fast course.” The men’s team, which competed in the men’s gold 8K race, finished 44th out of 45 and had an average time of 27 minutes and 36 seconds. Facing one of the most competitive and diverse fields of the year, the men ran with schools such as Okla- homa, Georgetown and Columbia, who finished first through third, respectively. “This is one of the toughest races of the year,” Jelley said. “People from all over the country come to run here.” The mud and high level of competition were not the only obstacles for the men Friday. Sophomore Will Kellar suffered the beginnings of a stress fracture and was not able to run for the Owls. Kellar, who finished second for the men in their previous meet and senior Travis Mahoney, who is redshirting this season, left the Owls without two key runners. “It’s tough when you’re missing two of your top three guys,” Jelley said. The men were lead by freshman Matt Kacyon, who finished 226th overall with a time of 26:35. Kacyon, who attended Whitehall High School, was familiar with the course. Whitehall is one of the high school teams that competes at the Paul Short every year. “I’ve run here throughout my high school career,” Kacyon said. “I love this course.” Other top performers for the men included sophomore Philip Fanz, who finished 250th overall with a time of 26:52 and senior Geoffrey Barletta, who finished 285th overall with a time of 27:28. The women had a recordbreaking performance running in the women’s Brown 6K race. Their 32nd finish as a team is the highest they’ve ever placed at the Paul Short Invitational. Highlighting this achievement was freshman Jenna Dubrow, whose individual performance also marked a new record. Her 40th place finish is the highest for any Temple runner who had previously competed at the Lehigh race. “I went out very fast and strong for the first mile,” Dubrow said, “I think I might have died a little bit on the back hill towards the cornfield, but overall I felt good.” Dubrow continues to make significant strides in her abilities despite only being a freshman. Her 23:08 time Friday was 40 seconds better than her previous time at the Brother Doyle Meet of Champions last week. Also aiding the Owls in their record breaking performance were sophomores Taylor Goldsworthy and Erin Casey, who finished 168th and 183rd with times of 24:29 and 24:37, respectively. With the top performers on the women and men’s side both being freshman, the Owls see this early success by their underclassmen as a good indicator for the future. “They’re able to get a year under their belt,” Mobley said. “The better they do, the better recruits can come in, and the program keeps going.” Daniel Craig can be reached at [email protected]. Brandon Stoneburg can be reached at brandon.stoneburg@ temple.edu. Owls’ loss timely for Big East limbo CRANNEY PAGE 20 Temple can fill the seats for Big East play. Considering the fact that low attendance was one of the things that got Temple kicked out of the Big East in the first place, the two-thirds empty stadium on Saturday just doesn’t look good. I’m not saying Temple doesn’t deserve to be in the Big East, because I think they are as good a choice for membership as any, but the Toledo game was the first hitch in what was a virtually flawless football résumé for this season. “One game doesn’t define anything,” Addazio said. “We have to take care of our business one week at a time.” Moving forward, the Owls have five straight contests to MAC teams. If Temple really wants a Big East invite for football, the Owls have to continue to do their part in their own conference. Joey Cranney can be reached at [email protected]. DANIEL CRAIG TTN Freshmen Jenna Dubrow and Matt Kacyon led the pack for the Owls last Friday. Dubrow and Kacyon finished in 40th and 226th places overall, respectively, in the Women’s Brown 6K and Men’s Gold 8K races at the annual Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh. SPORTS Volleyball fails to match the Rams’ blockers TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Volleyball comes up short in fourth set against Fordham, as the Owls lose 3-1. CONNOR SHOWALTER Sports Editor The Owls’ volleyball team struggled to find its outside hitters open at the net, as the Rams set a new school and Atlantic Ten Conference season match high with 21 blocks in their four-set victory. After the Rams (5-10, 2-1 A-10) took the first two sets 2523, 25-21, and the Owls claimed the third set 25-18, the Cherry and White found itself in a fourth set battle. However, Temple (5-12, 1-3 A-10) allowed Fordham to rally in the final set, as the Rams won 25-23. The Owls entered the match after defeating Rhode Island the day before in straight sets. But freshman setter Tiffany Connatser said the team came out flat against Fordham. “I think we definitely didn’t come out as strong as we did last [Friday] when we beat Rhode Island,” Connatser said. “But I mean, I know everyone was giving it their all, but maybe weren’t just 100 percent as focused as we should have been.” Fordham currently ranks atop the A-10 in blocks by averaging 3.55 per set. Coach Bakeer Ganes said that he doesn’t expect his squad, which is ranked seventh in blocks (1.69 blocks per set), to out-block its opponents. “We knew that going in that it’s going to be a mismatch,” Ganes said. “But at the same time, I didn’t expect them to have 21 blocks that’s really good. Even though we had 14, we still can’t afford to give anybody else 21 blocks, that’s out of this world.” A trio of opposing middle hitters created a challenge for the Owls’ hitters throughout the game. Fordham’s junior middle hitter Randi Ewing, the daughter of National Basketball Association All-Star Patrick Ewing, led the blocking game for the Rams with two solo and eight assisted blocks, while sophomore middle hitters Krissy Buongiorno and Carina Thompson combined for 17 assisted blocks. Ewing, who averages the highest block percentage in the A-10, Thompson, and Buongiorno consistently lead the Rams in blocking. Ewing and Buongiorno, the team’s two middle blockers have accounted for a total of 20 solo blocks combined on the year. “We know everybody we’re going to play is going to have more blocks than we do just because of the height difference,” Ganes said. “So we have to find a way to kind of reorganize our offense so we get more opportunities to be one-on-one when we attack the ball.” Sophomore outside hitter Gabriella Matautia had the most success among the Owls’ hitters in the game posting 17 kills on a .152 hitting percentage, while adding 11 digs. Senior outside hitter Collin Wallace also had 17 kills with a .120 hitting percentage and tied for a game high 15 digs. Ganes said the Owls tried to carry momentum from their third set win, which cut the Rams’s advantage to 2-1, but they lost focus in the fourth set. Temple led 15-11 in the fourth set, but the Rams came back to close out the game. PAGE 19 PAUL KLEIN TTN Sophomore outside hitters Elyse Burkert (left) and Gabriella Matautia combine their offensive abilities to account for about half of the team’s total kills this season. The Cherry and White own a .168 hitting percentage, while their opponents average .222. “We gave them a run of 10 points, which brought us back to 15-21,” Ganes said. “So that’s something we just can’t do, no matter who we play, we can’t allow to give anybody a run like that.” The fourth set contained nine tie scores between the teams, but when the Owls found themselves down 21-15, Ganes said he told his team in a timeout that they had to focus on the next point. “At that moment we really didn’t have anything to lose,” Ganes said. “I think I had used all of my timeouts, tried different set plays, so I think we just went for it.” The Cherry and White scored several unanswered points to tie the score at 21. Senior setter Liz Prang entered the game to serve before the rally and she delivered with an ace and two digs. “We did not want to give up, we’re not the same team we were last year,” Wallace said. “We just came back and we had some great serves from [Prang] and we had a couple good kills and then it just didn’t work out in the end.” The Rams scored the final points with a kill and then a block against the Owls’ after the score was tied at 23. “In that last set I thought we were really focused, except for that one lapse of 10 points for the other team,” Connatser said. “We definitely lost our focus in passing and hitting and basically every aspect.” Connatser completed a game high 44 assists in the match, while the rest of the team combined for four assists. The next game for the Owls is away against La Salle at 7 p.m. on Thursday. “We’re definitely winning the next game,” Connatser said. “We’re bringing it next game and everybody is going to be ready and it’s going to be intense.” Macdonald Cup points out early-season flaws for the golf team during last weekend. We have a very young squad and we’re starting to play more consistent golf,” Quinn said. “Our finish was a little rough each day of the event but we have to continuously put ourselves in a position to succeed.” Sophomore Steve Burak did exactly that, he finished seventh overall firing a 36-hole score of 142. Burak has been a bright spot early for the Owls, but his coach feels that he still has better things to come. “Steve is a great golfer, for only a sophomore the kid had to grow up very quickly,” Quinn said. “He started off great each day and struggled a bit down the stretch, but he was in position to succeed, which we need consistently.” Behind Burak for Temple was junior Devin Bibeau and sophomore Matthew Crescenzo who tied for 37th, shooting a total score of 149, respectively. Rounding out the scoring for the Owls was freshman Paul Carbone and sophomore Russell Hartung who shot 152 and 153, respectively. Quinn said he was optimistic about looking forward, but also realized that many problems need to be addressed before the Owls compete in the Big 5 Invitational Oct. 8-9 at Plymouth Country Club in Philadelphia. “We are going to work on all aspects of our game this week, the more reps we get, the better off we are,” Quinn said. “We need to find a solid fifth score if we want to be competitive in this tournament, someone needs to come up big, we can’t continue to lose valuable strokes out there.” Connor Showalter can be reached at connor.showalter@ temple.edu. Owls’ win boost morale Golf aims for consistency ANTHONY BELLINO The Temple News The Owls golf team struggled at the Macdonald Cup this weekend, but coach Brian Quinn said he knows his team has the ability to succeed. Temple finished 10th out of 14 teams at the rain-shortened Macdonald Cup held at Yale in New Haven Conn., the event was only 36 holes rather than its usual 54 due to heavy rains occurring last Friday into Saturday. While the finish may not have been what they were looking for, Quinn said he knows his team has talent. “I feel were coming around. Anthony Bellino can be reached at [email protected]. Women’s soccer falters in A-10 play PAUL KLEIN TTN Senior midfielder Tyler Witmer jumps for position to win a head ball.Witmer and the Owls defeated Howard 1-0 last Saturday in their final non-conference game of the season. SOCCER PAGE 20 about it. We got a little bit of our play back and I’m ready to go.” While the Bison had two shots in the first half, the Owls stiffened their defense to not allow any shots from their opponent in the second half. On the attack, the Owls posted seven total shots in the match with three being shots on goal. “I think the guys worked really hard and we were disciplined today and I think it was a good way to get back on track,” MacWilliams said. “We battled hard and I don’t think we gave up many chances today. We put up one in the first half. So I was pretty proud of the way the guys fought and they played very hard today.” “The second half I think we did an excellent job of really controlling the game and they tried to play a lot of long balls over top and I think defensively we really did a great job,” MacWilliams added. Offensively the Owls’ had five different players take shots. Junior midfielder Cody Calafiore made his first start back in the lineup since sustaining an injury in the Sept. 11 game at Brown. “I think we’re still trying to find it,” Witmer said. “Obviously I don’t think we’re at our peak yet and again that’s a good thing because we want to hit our peak going into playoffs, so we still have a lot of work to do. But if we’re winning games then we’re doing our job.” MacWilliams said the team played with discipline against the Bison and he added that the Owls regained their composure after some recently “frustrating games.” “I think they kind of got back to the way we should be playing and how we’re capable of playing,” MacWilliams said. “I think today was a big step in that direction because you don’t want to have a losing streak going into the A-10s.” Connor Showalter can be reached at connor.showalter@ temple.edu. Women’s soccer drops first two A-10 matchups last weekend. ELIZABETH SIM The Temple News This weekend’s road games proved to be a rough ride for the Temple women’s soccer team (3-8, Atlantic Ten Conference 0-2), losing to cross-town rival La Salle on Friday then again to Fordham. A score of 0-5 ended Friday’s matchup against La Salle, who stands at 9-0-1, 1-0 in the A-10. Playing at McCarthy Stadium, the Explorers’ freshman Kelsey Haycook recorded her first collegiate hat trick, getting past the Owls’ junior goalkeeper Tara Murphy three times throughout the game. “Friday night’s game was a tough one,” senior midfielder Kate Yurkovic said. “We knew going into it that it was going to be a battle.” The A-10 opener began with two goals for the Explorers in the first half beginning in the seventh minute. Haycook secured the first goal and followed up with another in the 19th minute. She scored one more in the 51st minute before teammates redshirt-senior midfielder Morgan Golden and sophomore forward Renee Washington finalized the win, each nabbing a goal in the 62nd and 64th minutes, respectively. On Sunday, one goal separated the Owls from defeating the Fordham Rams as the two teams faced off in Bronx, N.Y. this past Sunday. “Today’s game we did a lot better. We played awesome defense we just could not seem to get a break in the offensive third,” Yurkovic said. “We definitely competed, though all we can do now is focus on this weekend coming up.” Not until the 57th minute did the Rams take advantage of a break in the back line, when Rams’ freshman midfielder Jessica Widman set up a chance for freshman forward Kristina Maksuti. Receiving Widman’s pass, Maksuti fired a wide shot, which glanced off the post and into the net. Coach Matt Gwilliam said he will remain optimistic in his first season as coach, despite starting conference play with two losses. “A key component of bringing future success to our women’s soccer program here at Temple will be a change in the culture of the program,” Gwilliam said. “We all just need to remember that this is a lengthy process that doesn’t happen overnight.” The Owls return home to Ambler Campus this Friday, where they will face off against the Richmond Spiders at 4 p.m. Elizabeth Sim can be reached at [email protected]. SPORTS temple-news.com PAGE 20 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011 Loss not worthy of Big East Toledo derails Owls Cranney’s Corner Joey Cranney Owls miss opportunity to bolster their résumé for entry into the Big East. JAZMYNE ANDERSON TTN Redshirt-senior quarterback Chester Stewart scrambles up the middle to pick up yards against the Toledo defense last Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. Stewart went 10 for 20 for 173 passing yards with two interceptions, while adding 47 rushing yards on 15 attempts in the game. Owls commit four turnovers in their loss against the Toledo Rockets. BRANDON STONEBURG The Temple News Toledo, coming off three tough losses early in the season, took its anger out on the Owls, who were coming off a big win at Maryland, by winning 36-13. Temple had previously won 11 of its last 13 home games before Toledo forced four turnovers and racked up 36 points on the Owls’ defense. “I think the tale of the game is the turnovers, which caused us to play on a long field and them on a short field,” coach Steve Addazio said. “It forced the momentum to swing hard on us. You can’t turn the ball over. We turned it over four times.” “I want to give a lot of credit to Toledo,” Addazio added. “They came in here ready to play. They played hard. I give credit to their team and staff. They were ready to play today.” The turnovers started as early as the first quarter when junior punt returner Matt Brown muffed a punt return inside the Owls’10-yard line that was recovered by the Rockets. Three plays later the Rockets were celebrating in the end zone. About two minutes later, redshirtsenior quarterback Chester Stewart threw an interception intended for Brown. “Mechanics, it’s not finishing throws,” Stewart said. “The one to [Brown] was a miscommunication. As leaders we try to keep our guys up, but it is definitely a momentum swing for them to get a short field and quick score.” “That hurts a team and is hard to come back from,” Stewart added. Toledo capitalized on the turnover and short field again, scoring a touchdown only two minutes later. Stewart did throw a 55-yard touchdown to senior Evan Rodriguez early in the second quarter and McManus added a field goal in the same period, but that would be the last time Temple would score on Toledo’s defense. The Rockets were up nine points at the half and 15 of their 22 first-half points came off turnovers. The second half didn’t provide much relief for the 21,705 fans in at- tendance donning mostly pink for breast cancer awareness. Junior running back Bernard Pierce managed only four yards rushing in the second half and when it looked like the Owls had finally got the big play they needed to swing momentum, Pierce had a costly fumble at the end of a 35-yard screen pass in Toledo territory. It was the third turnover of the afternoon and the defense was unable to bail out the offense. The defense was ranked first in the country in scoring defense coming into the contest, but the quick-paced Toledo offense seemed to fluster the defense and moved the ball seemingly at will while lighting the scoreboard up for 36 points. “We didn’t stop them. It’s as plain and simple as that,” senior defensive FOOTBALL PAGE 18 Men’s soccer turns up defense in 1-0 win Senior midfielder Tyler Witmer bests Howard’s goalie for the lone goal. CONNOR SHOWALTER Sports Editor The men’s soccer team snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Howard 1-0 last Saturday on the road in Washington, D.C. before heading into Atlantic Ten Conference competition. Senior midfielder Tyler Witmer scored his second goal of the season and the game’s lone goal in the 39th minute of the first half. Witmer received the ball from freshman midfielder Willie Chalfant after a Bison turnover. “It was a perfect ball through the defenders and the defense was caught off guard,” Witmer said. “Basically it ended up being me and the goalie and I just shot it for the back post.” The Owls’ defense executed coach David MacWilliams’ game plan and held onto the lead for the remainder of the game. Sophomore goalkeeper Bobby Rosato did not face a shot on goal during the game, as he recorded his second shutout of the year. With the Owls (4-5) set to open A-10 play with Richmond on Friday at Ambler, the team knew it needed to come away with a win against Howard (1-7-2) to gain momentum. “We wanted to do two things,” MacWilliams said. “We wanted to win the game and make sure defensively we were sound. I think going into the A-10s we need to be defensively sound in order to win games because they’re going to be close games. So I think we accomplished two things today.” In the recent losses for the Owls, the team’s defense had issues with staying under control, Rosato said. He added that the Owls’ defense was able to “stick together as a whole” during the win. “I think that we were in a little funk for a while,” Rosato said. “But coming into [the A-10 schedule] with a win, with an upward slope, get momentum. I’m really confident SOCCER PAGE 19 CROSS COUNTRY p.18 The men and women’s cross country teams finished in 44th and 32nd place overall, respectively at the Paul Short Invitational last Friday. SPORTS DESK 215-204-9537 PAUL KLEIN TTN Senior midfielder Tyler Witmer (black shirt) collides with a referee. Witmer leads the Owls with a team high 12 shots on goal this season. VOLLEYBALL p.19 After defeating Rhode Island in straight sets last Friday, the Owls came out flat against Fordham in a 3-1 loss last Saturday. If the Owls want to sit at the coolkid’s table that is the Big East Conference, they have to prove to themselves and the country that they can take care of business in the Mid-American Conference. Recent reports from various news outlets speculate that, in light of the recent conference re-alignment going on throughout college sports, Temple may be changing homes. The Big East Conference, a perennial basketball powerhouse and former home of Owls’ football, lost Pittsburgh and founding member Syracuse to the Atlantic Coast Conference in September. It is rumored that Temple is one of the teams on the Big East’s list to replace these two vacancies. Multiple media outlets have reported that Temple is on the verge of an all-sports invite. In addition to the Owls’ outstanding history in both men and women’s basketball, the recent success of the football team is really what’s driving these rumors. The Owls played football in the Big East starting in 1991 for nearly 15 years, but were asked to leave in 2001 and left in 2004 due to poor attendance and a lack of competitiveness and university commitment to the football program. But with the relative success of the football program through the first four weeks of the season, including the Owls’ 38-7 blowout win against Maryland last week, many people now believe that Temple football could compete in the Big East. However, the Owls’ 36-13 loss to Toledo last Saturday told a different story. The team that showed up to play against Toledo didn’t look like the surging mid-major that could compete in the Big East, but rather the team that has never won a MAC championship during its five-year membership. If the Temple football program really wants to take the next step, it needs to consistently play at a high level in its own conference. Granted, Toledo is much better than their 2-3 record would indicate, but the majority of the country doesn’t know or care about that. All that most people will see is some team they’ve never heard of just beat up on Temple in front of their home crowd. How will the loss look to the Big East? Coach Steve Addazio said that the national attention Temple had been getting after its Maryland win affected preparation coming into Toledo. “We were concerned this week about our preparation,” Addazio said. “There were some distractions here, but you have to learn how to handle that. That’s my job, to make sure that you overcome that and come out with a great level of execution.” The home attendance on Saturday was almost as bad as the final score. If I had a vote on Temple’s Big East membership, the attendance of 21,705 on Saturday wouldn’t convince me that CRANNEY PAGE 18 FIELD HOCKEY NEXT WEEK FIeld hockey recruited nine freshmen this year and several of them are already making an impact. [email protected]