The Temple News

01/05/2025

The Temple News is conducting a survey about how Temple students feel about the Department of Public Safety's efforts to keep students safe both on and off campus.

Click the link in our bio to let your voice be heard. All answers are completely anonymous.

The Temple News is collecting student opinions on safety programs at Temple University. Share your opinion and views by answering the questions below. All responses are completely anonymous.

01/04/2025

Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a 2012 strategic communications alumnus, is running for a Democratic National Committee vice chair position in its 2025 election, according to his website.

The five current vice chairs include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Latino activist Henry Rueben Muñoz III. The election is set to be held on Feb 1. in National Harbor, Maryland, and will include some of the top roles in the committee.

The website, with the scrolling title “Back to Basics,” advertises his coalition building skills and relationships with legislators, labor and community leaders. He previously ran, and lost, the PA Auditor General election this November to incumbent Timothy DeFoor.

01/03/2025

The Temple News is looking for a motivated, eager and curious student to serve as a reporter on our Investigations desk for the Spring 2025 semester. Our investigations desk has reported on Temple Police, administration, the president's office, campus safety, off-campus housing issues, the university's finances, Temple Athletics and much more.

The deadline to apply is Thursday, Jan. 9. Click the link in our bio for more information on how to apply.

EDITORIAL STAFF APPLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT SPRING 2025 The award-winning, independent student-run newspaper of Temple University, The Temple News, is seeking a motivated, idea-driven and innovative student for a new newsroom staff position in its 103rd year of publication in the 2024-25 academic ...

01/02/2025

Opinion Editor McCaillaigh Rouse urges President John Fry and Temple administration to acknowledge, work with and communicate with the Temple Union of Resident Assistants.

“On Nov. 20, the Temple Union of Resident Assistants sent a letter to newly instated university President John Fry requesting union recognition. In the letter, TURA asked the Temple administration to meet, communicate and collaborate with them as a union to work towards a bargaining process.

TURA is a collective of undergraduate student workers supported by more than 80% of Temple’s resident assistants and peer mentors. Temple must recognize TURA as a union because it’s the only remaining route for the student employees to gain union protections. This includes the right to strike, the automatic collective bargaining process and negotiating contracts with employers to secure fair and equitable rights.”

01/02/2025

Temple Women’s Basketball beat East Carolina 63-58 Wednesday evening at The Liacouras Center in its first home conference game of the season. The Owls started the game slow but went on a 14-0 run that gave them control. The run was led by a trio of shots from beyond the arc from guard Tarriyonna Gary, who finished the night with a career-high 26 points.

The Pirates fought back, and while the Owls went into halftime leading 36-30, it became a battle in the second half. ECU forced two turnovers within 30 seconds of the third quarter and cut its deficit to just two points. Temple struggled to stop the Pirates as they started the final quarter on a six-point run.

ECU took its first lead in the fourth quarter since the opening quarter but Temple guard Kaylah Turner stepped up. Turner forced two turnovers and scored seven points in the final 10 minutes of play. The sophomore scored the only bench points of the night, including the three-pointer that clinched the lead with 25 seconds remaining in the game.

“It was a hard fought game and it was up and down, but we were resilient,” said head coach Diane Richardson. “We knew that our defense was going to have to pull us through this game and that's one thing we can depend on, when our shots aren't falling and we've got to step up.”

The Owls will look to win their third straight conference game when they travel to Tampa, Florida to face South Florida on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.

🔗: https://temple-news.com/late-three-pointer-helps-temple-hold-on-to-defeat-ecu/

01/01/2025

Through once-in-a-lifetime moments and volatile social landscapes, 2024 was certainly distinctive and defining. The top 10 photos of 2024 captured by the photographers at The Temple News are filled with agitation, ambition and an endless search for strength in hardship.

The unexpected closure of the University of the Arts put Temple at the helm to create a new space for displaced students, while the Temple Association of University Professionals demanded better job security. And as the continued Israeli-Palestinian conflict brought civil unrest through Philadelphia’s college campuses, Temple was at the doorstep to the 2024 presidential election as both campaigns hosted rallies at The Liacouras Center.

Here are the top 10 photos taken by TTN’s photographers that made 2024 unforgettable.

Read more at the link in our bio.

12/31/2024

In the past 12 months, the Temple community has faced significant changes, including evolving attitudes toward labor unions, the integration of the University of the Arts, heightened political tensions amidst the presidential election and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

The Temple News’ Opinion team was challenged to cover these contentious topics, communicate their grievances with administrative affairs and open up a conversation about current events among the American youths.

Here are our top 10 Opinion stories of 2024.

Read more at the link in our bio.

12/29/2024

Temple Women’s Basketball coasted past UAB 97-74 in its conference opener Sunday afternoon at Bartow Arena. The Owls had been plagued by slow starts all season but quickly put that narrative to bed against the Blazers. Temple made its first five shots to open the game and pushed its lead to as many as 20 points in the first quarter. The hot shooting carried into the second quarter and the Owls entered halftime with an 18-point lead.

Temple put the game into cruise control in the second half and coasted to its sixth straight conference-opening win. Guard Tarriyonna Gary joined the 1,000-point club with a layup late in the game and guard Tiarra East led the Owls with 21 points. Temple scored 24 points off turnovers and outrebounded the Blazers by 14 in the win. The 97 points are the most Temple has scored in a conference game under head coach Diane Richardson.

Temple returns to the Liacouras Center for its first matchup of the new year as they host East Carolina on Jan. 1 at 4 p.m.

🔗: https://temple-news.com/owls-cruise-by-uab-to-open-conference-play/

12/29/2024

2024 was an eventful year on Temple’s campus. Both major party candidates for President spoke at The Liacouras Center, multiple student and faculty groups protested on campus, students found community in clubs and organizations and The Temple News published two special Features issues.

TTN’s Features section captured the pulse and personality of Temple’s student body and alumni all year long. Here are the top 10 stories from the Features section in 2024.

Read more at the link in our bio.

12/28/2024

Amid a year of student activism, a contentious election cycle, union negotiations, a new university president and public safety concerns, The Temple News published hundreds of articles covering stories from breaking news to in-depth, data driven investigations. 

In 2025, Temple could see public safety, union contracts and community development projects grace headlines once again. A recent end-of-year statement from President John Fry announced multiple initiatives including staffing studies and new student services, promising imminent campus reforms.

As the year draws to a close, here are The Temple News’ top 10 News stories of 2024.

Read more at the link in our bio.

12/26/2024

In September 1968, the activist Maulana Karenga told a 4,000-person crowd at North Philadelphia’s Church of the Advocate of his vision for a new, secular holiday, the Black struggle for freedom and equality to the traditions of the African continent. One of his listeners that day would soon become Falaka Fattah, a pivotal advocate for peace in the city’s streets and Kwanzaa’s main promoter locally.

“It is neither Christian nor Muslim nor atheist,” Fattah said of the weeklong celebration. “It’s just Black.”

Kwanzaa began in Los Angeles; its purpose spans the globe. Yet its history and current celebrations pass surprisingly close to Philadelphia — and Temple.

12/20/2024

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker took the Broad Street Line from City Hall to Cecil B. Moore Avenue to address the city from the Temple Performing Arts Center on Main Campus Friday afternoon for her “State of the City” address.

Parker, who is closing in on one year as the city’s first female mayor, spent nearly two hours highlighting key wins during her tenure as mayor, including declining crime rates and public cleanliness efforts. Friday’s address also came just one day after City Council voted to approve the Philadelphia 76ers’ new arena proposal in Center City.

“We’re proud of where we are as year one draws to a close,” Parker said. “Our city is becoming safer, our blocks are cleaner and there is more educational opportunities in our schools. Let me be clear: We have a long way to go and much, much more work to do. But I’m proud of our administration and every official and city employee working for the people of Philadelphia.”

Parker kicked off the address by thanking Temple President John Fry for allowing the address to be held on campus. She also welcomed former President Richard Englert, who stepped up as the university’s interim leader after the sudden passing of acting President JoAnne Epps in September 2023, to the stage and thanked him for serving both Temple and Philadelphia.

“This was Dick Englert’s third term as Temple’s chief executive officer,” Parker said. “He is the personification of service to Temple University and to our city. So I would like to bestow a token of appreciation from a grateful city.”

12/19/2024

Temple President John Fry shared a number of announcements and updates with the university community, including a staffing study into the Department of Public Safety and campus developments in North Philadelphia, in an email to all faculty and staff Thursday afternoon.

Following the release of the 21CP audit led by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey in April 2023, the university is initiating an independent staffing study of the Department of Public Safety, Fry announced. The study will begin next month, as tensions have risen between the Temple Police union and DPS amid multiple social media posts and university statements.

The Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations office will also be “thoroughly” reviewed next semester to make sure Temple is primed to celebrate its 150th year anniversary and the funding campaign to go alongside it.

Next semester, the university hopes to launch the Direct-TU One Stop Student Services Center and a Student Success Management Platform. Both systems are geared to optimize student experiences in services, academic advising and communication.

Fry also noted programs, like the Temple Community Gateway, will be prioritized to connect the Temple community to its North Philadelphia community.

“In the months to come, we will be reimaging how we think about community impact and engagement to ensure that we are scaling existing initiatives and creating new opportunities through better coordination and integration of efforts that are happening across the university,” Fry wrote in the letter.

12/19/2024

Temple Men’s Basketball took down Davidson 62-61 Wednesday night at The Liacouras Center to become the sixth program in NCAA history to reach 2,000 wins in program history. The Owls opened the game slowly on the offensive end and found themselves in a nine point hole midway through the first half. Temple was unable to find momentum due to shooting 7% from three in the first half.

Davidson started to pull away to start the second half, opening up a lead as large as 11. However, the Owls slowly began to crawl back into the game. With four minutes left, Temple got its deficit down to just one point, but could not take the lead. With a minute remaining and trailing by three, forward Steve Settle III hit a three to tie the game. Temple got a stop on defense and guard Shane Dezonie slammed home a dunk to take a 60-58 lead with 30 seconds remaining.

Davidson called a timeout and on its next offensive possession, guard Bobby Durkin hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Wildcats a 61-60 lead with eight seconds left. The Owls responded by giving the ball to forward Elijah Gray in the post, who made a layup to give Temple the lead again. The Wildcats shot at the buzzer but missed and Temple held on to complete the comeback.

“2,000 wins is incredible,” said head coach Adam Fisher. “This is a program win, to be the sixth school to ever do it, that’s why you want to come to Temple. Thank you to all of our former student-athletes, coaches and trainers, who played a big part in this.”
The Owls will head up to Springfield, Massachusetts, to take on Rhode Island on Dec. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

https://temple-news.com/temple-earns-2000th-program-win-in-comeback-against-davidson/

12/18/2024

Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, a local eatery chain operating for more than 25 years, intends to open a new location on Temple’s Main Campus at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, where the previous Barnes & Noble bookstore was located, the university announced in a press release Wednesday.

“It is exciting to see a well-established, reputable organization like Iron Hill make such a strong investment in this community, and we are so glad to have them as a partner,” wrote President John Fry in the press release. “I suspect it won’t be long until Iron Hill becomes a go-to spot before and after games and events at the Liacouras Center.”

Iron Hill has 19 locations across five states with two located in Philadelphia, including one at South 12th Street and Market Street in Center City. They serve craft beer alongside made-from-scratch cooking.

12/18/2024

Amid rising concerns about United States immigration policies, international students at Temple are grappling with the uncertainty of how Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory may reshape their future in the country.

Despite Trump’s promise to offer green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges, he had previously imposed stricter F-1 Student Visa processing and the “America First” agenda — focusing on American students.

Director of International Student Affairs Leah Hetzell noted that the fear of the unknown is palpable and that much of what Trump has proposed remains speculative.

“We don’t know for sure what the new administration will implement,” Hetzell said. “But international students are already contributing millions in tuition and living expenses.”

As the political landscape shifts under the new administration, many international students are left indecisive about their futures in the U.S. The prospect of stricter immigration policies and potential changes to student visa regulations has led to widespread anxiety within this community.

“Personally, I am scared by most of the measures [Trump] wants to implement,” said Andrea Abate, a sophomore theater major from Venezuela.

12/16/2024

Bella Kwok, a junior criminal justice major, recently received the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, granting her $50,000 for tuition along with a $10,000 travel and Airbnb stipend. She aims to use the scholarship to combat sexual violence by passing legislations and advocating for survivors.

The Voyager Scholarship, established by The Obama Foundation in partnership with Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, was awarded to just 100 students nationwide. The highly prestigious scholarship is reserved for students who display exceptional dedication to public service endeavors.

Eligibility requirements include students who demonstrate financial need, can fully commit to the two-year long program and plan to pursue a career in public service post-graduation.

Kwok became aware of sexual violence’s widespread impact after founding a Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention club in high school. She recognized that a lack of awareness was the primary issue, so she decided to use her own experiences, along with those of others, to educate and raise awareness in order to reduce the assault occurrence and make it a less universal experience.

“A lot of students, even students that weren't that I've never talked to, disclosed to me, and kind of were a lot more open to talking about their experiences with me,” Kwok said. “And in that a common theme I heard is a lack of knowledge about the issue in general. And so I think in forming the club, yes, I was educating my peers, but I was also learning a lot throughout the process to be able to educate my peers.”

12/15/2024

Assistant Opinion Editor Bradley McEntee reflects on how one Christmas gift helped them get closer with their sister.

“My mom always did Christmas in an untraditional way. Growing up, she had my twin sister Anna and I follow a custom where only three presents under the tree were from Santa and the rest were from Mom and Dad.

Until we were 10 years old, my sister had an affinity for American Girl Dolls and a seemingly infinite list of dolls they wanted to add to their collection. To ensure they got variety in their Santa gifts, my sister planned out which dolls they would ask for for the next five Christmases until they’d finally be satisfied with their collection.

Our relationship was tumultuous when we were kids, mostly because of unaddressed adverse emotions stemming from our parents’ divorce. But despite our screaming matches and physical altercations, I was devoted to strengthening our bond. So, when we were around 8 years old, I used one of my three Santa gifts to give my sister the American Girl Doll they scheduled for the following year. I don’t remember their exact reaction, but what matters most to me is the increasing strength of our bond that happened as a result.”