The Temple News

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02/12/2025

The Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program’s outpost at Temple has begun filing free federal and state tax returns for the 2024 fiscal year, continuing its long streak of volunteer tax preparation and student credit opportunities.

VITA is designed to aid families and individuals who have disabilities, limited English understanding or make less than $67,000 a year — an income requirement that was increased from $60,000 last year.

“The program is ostensibly, officially for low to moderate income individuals and families, which does cover most Temple students if you’re working part time jobs or on-campus jobs and not making much money,” said Steven Balsam, chair of the accounting department and the program site coordinator for VITA. “You’re likely to be dependent on your parents’ return, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to file or that you shouldn’t file.”

Around 20 to 25 volunteers, including current students and alumni, help file, review and complete tax returns at both Main Campus and Temple Ambler. Both programs are by appointment on Wednesday or Saturday afternoons between now and April 9.

In its last eight games, Temple (14-10, 6-5 American Athletic Conference) has followed the same pattern — two big wins a...
02/12/2025

In its last eight games, Temple (14-10, 6-5 American Athletic Conference) has followed the same pattern — two big wins at home, and then two underwhelming losses on the road to beatable conference opponents.

The Owls beat then-No. 18 Memphis and Tulane at The Liacouras Center on Jan. 16 and Jan. 19 but then lost to North Texas and a bottom-of-the-conference UTSA team on the road. The same thing happened when they returned to North Philly on Jan. 29. The Owls snuck past Charlotte and East Carolina before hitting the road again and falling to South Florida and No. 14 Memphis.

Temple holds a 2-7 record on the road this season despite being a perfect 10-0 on its home floor. Now, the Owls have seven games remaining until their fate is decided during the AAC tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. The team will spend that time frame trying to gain some sort of momentum in games away from The Liacouras Center.

“I think we have really smart fans,” said Temple head coach Adam Fisher, “ They know when to get loud and then when not to and then when to get excited. I hope that again, they can keep coming back. We want to protect home court and that's been a big thing for us this year.”

🔗: https://temple-news.com/temple-focused-on-road-woes-before-conference-tournament/

02/11/2025

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and city officials held a press conference at City Hall Tuesday to announce details for the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship parade, set to take place on Friday, Feb 14.

The conference detailed pre-parade events, outlined the parade route, SEPTA travel plans and expectations for public behavior. Officials stressed the importance of maintaining order throughout the celebration.

The parade will kick off at 11 a.m. at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue near the sports complex, said parade producer Fred Stein.

President John Fry announced that all Temple campuses will be closed and classes will be cancelled for the parade.

Regarding SEPTA plans, Adam Thiel, Philadelphia’s managing director, stated that the best transportation options will be the Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line, which will operate express-style service to and from City Hall throughout the day.

Most stations will be closed, and full details will be available on SEPTA’s website tomorrow. Trains plan to run every 6-8 minutes, though delays are expected, Thiel said.

02/11/2025

Former President Joe Biden passed more than 40 policies surrounding higher education that aimed to ease financial burdens, increase access and protect student rights. These policies tackled student loan relief, expanded federal grants and strengthened Title IX protections — efforts that shaped the college experience for students at Temple and beyond.

Despite these sweeping changes, Biden’s higher education legacy remains in flux following a slew of orders and potential upcoming policies from President Donald Trump.

“The word I would use to describe Biden’s legacy on higher education is ‘unfinished,’” said Mark Huelsman, director of policy and advocacy at The Hope Center, Temple’s research and information center for combating student needs insecurity. “Some folks use ‘complicated’ or ‘complex,’ but unfinished is the word I keep coming back to.”

Here is a look at how Biden’s presidency impacted Temple, its faculty and students.

K.C. Keeler was well aware of the challenges that awaited him when he was hired as Temple’s next head coach. Most import...
02/11/2025

K.C. Keeler was well aware of the challenges that awaited him when he was hired as Temple’s next head coach. Most importantly, he knew he had to transform an offense that had been stagnant for nearly five years under former head coaches Rod Carey and Stan Drayton.

Last year, the unit ranked 121st in the country in scoring and put up an underwhelming 92.8 rushing yards per game — 126th in the country.

Keeler immediately went to work putting together his staff, hoping to construct a group capable of bringing the offense to life. He settled on someone he had only met in person once — and coached at a program two time zones away.

Montana State offensive coordinator Tyler Walker was tapped as the guy Keeler wanted to lead his offense. Walker had orchestrated a potent rushing attack in Bozeman, Montana, which grabbed Keeler’s attention. The pair met just one time but shared a mutual friend in Oregon head coach Dan Lanning.

“I had previous relationships with coaches that had worked with Coach Keeler before,” Walker said. “It was definitely a wild month, that's for sure. I had known that I was taking the job for like a month, so a lot of stuff going on was trying to win a national title. So it was a wild month. It was, but it was worth it.”

🔗: https://temple-news.com/what-to-expect-from-temples-offense-under-keeler-walker/

02/10/2025

Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, Philadelphia erupted into a sea of green in a way it hadn’t since 2018.

What started as a few scattered “Go Birds” along Broad Street quickly swelled into a thunderous roar as thousands of Temple students flooded the streets, leaving their watch parties behind to storm City Hall in celebration of the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX victory.

Student energy was palpable — swarms of ecstatic fans gathered under the haze of fireworks and marched to Center City together. Not even a subway shutdown could prevent their two-mile journey.

“This is the best day of my life,” said Charlie Mazaleski, a senior supply management major.

The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday night 40-22 in a blowout victory. The Chiefs didn’t score until the third quarter, by which point the Eagles had already accumulated 34 points.

“I'm pretty sure I blacked out just from adrenaline,” said Amelia Fetco, a junior advertising major. “The game was just exhilarating. That was the best they ever played. And Jalen Hurts is the MVP of my life.”

02/09/2025

A recent Temple graduate was found in critical condition after being stabbed off-campus early Sunday morning on 15th Street near Master, wrote Jodi Bailey Accavallo, vice president for student affairs, and Jennifer Griffin, vice president for public safety, in an email to the community.

The suspect in the stabbing, a current Temple student, has been detained, Bailey and Accavallo wrote. Both individuals belong to the same Greek organization, though their chapter is not recognized by the university due to prior infractions. The victim is now in stable condition at Temple University Hospital.

The Philadelphia Police Department and Temple Police are continuing to investigate the incident, and have urged anyone with information to come forward. Students involved will face appropriate disciplinary action in addition to any criminal charges, according to the email.

“While we do not yet know the circumstances leading up to this incident, we do know that the resulting violence is never the answer. This is a tragic situation with life-altering outcomes for all involved,” Accavallo and Griffin wrote.

02/09/2025

Charlie Halikman has spent his whole life rooting for the Eagles. He inherited season tickets at Lincoln Financial Field from his grandfather and even got the seat number tattooed in his memory.

“I've just kind of taken over that seat, because that was always the seat he was in,” said Hailman, a freshman media studies and production major. “And it feels just more than football at that point where it's been a whole family thing.”

Since coming to Temple, Halikman has seen countless out-of-state peers convert to Eagles fanhood. They’ve flocked to City Hall for Philadelphia’s signature celebrations after major games, joining the ranks of the team’s increasingly large following.

But many are confused how Philadelphia sports developed such a robust – and rowdy – fanbase. Whether it’s the recent success the city has seen in their football and baseball teams or just something in the air, Philly’s fandom has been at the forefront in recent years, especially ahead of Sunday’s rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl LIX.

02/08/2025

Professionals at Temple University Hospital and its satellite campuses — the Jeanes Campus and the Fox Chase Cancer Center — unionized last month, joining several other TUH staff unions that have formed in the last year.

The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals and the Committee of Interns and Residents Service Employees International Union, which other Temple Health unions have formed with before, reported complaints about working long hours and the lack of staff retention from TUH administration.

Resident physicians and fellows at Temple University Hospitals voted 425-11 to unionize alongside the Committee of Interns and Residents on Jan. 10. CIR has also unionized with the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Einstein Healthcare Network.

“There are times where I have been expected to work over 12 hours per day for 6 days a week, as the sole first call provider, caring for over 30 patients with cancer,” said Tammarah Sklarz, a hematology oncology fellow at Fox Chase, in a speech at a CIR campaign.

02/07/2025

In the first of a three part series, The Temple News explores the hidden struggles of renting in North Philadelphia for international students, who are often more susceptible to situations of landlord neglect, precarious living situations and higher rent.
Pennsylvania has seen an uptick of rental scams in recent years alongside Temple gaining a significant increase in international student enrollments with the Class of 2028 – a population vulnerable to these scams.

Temple hosts a total undergraduate and graduate student population of nearly 2,000 international students from more than 100 countries. The Class of 2028 introduced the largest diverse student enrollment to date, with international student enrollment up by 65% over the last two years, The Temple News reported.

Tsedey Tsegaye, a masters student from Ethiopia, attended a weekend bootcamp course during the Fall 2024 semester. On the second day, the program’s director, Clemencia Rodriguez, provided a lunch with home-cooked food for students and professors – which Tsegaye ultimately missed, having fallen ill during the workshop.

She was later told that her illness was linked to the poor housing conditions in her North Philly apartment by an environmental scientist from Ethiopia. The illness forced her to miss several days of class while in the hospital, increasing her stress as she struggled to catch up and acclimate to the U.S. Her condition improved after she left the apartment, she said.

"They don't have security, they don't have someone to do the maintenance,” Tsegaye said. “So every time I face some challenges, I don't have anyone to talk to. I was all alone in there, and someone tried to break into times in the night. As an international student who don't know anything about [the U.S.,] it's really very hard for me.”

02/07/2025

On Saturday Feb. 1, Friends of the Rail Park hosted a Lunar New Year Celebration with performances by groups like the Penn Lions and free pork buns.

“I'm Chinese, I've done Lunar New Year festivals my entire life,” Rebecca Cordes Chan, Executive Director of Friends of the Rail Park, said. “So for me it's very special to be able to share this with a very broad audience, especially in these times, Asian American History and Culture is American History and Culture. And so to me, it's really important that we're able to celebrate these things in public space and to invite a broad audience to enjoy it with us.”

The Lunar New Year Event has grown over the years now with many organizations coming together including the Philadelphia Suns, Ballet SunMi, DJ Kevin Kong and more.

“It's nice to have just one more way to connect with the city. Any chance we have is awesome” Lauren Taylor, a Philly local, said.

02/07/2025

The Editorial Board urges Temple administration to have more thorough communication and a detailed action plan for international students in light of recent federal policy changes.

“Temple President John Fry released a statement on Jan. 29 addressing concerns regarding the recent executive orders. Although the email included important and necessary information and addressed student concerns, it didn’t provide students with resources or an action plan in the event of a potential raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Temple has more than 1,900 international students from 123 countries who deserve to feel secure and able to rely on greater resources while obtaining higher education. The Editorial Board urges Temple leaders and members of the International Student and Scholar Services office to offer guidance and resources on handling potential situations with border control or ICE.

As a public university that welcomes students from across the globe, it’s Temple’s responsibility to provide the necessary information to protect concerned students.”

02/07/2025

A Temple student was fatally shot on Carlisle Street near Oxford Street at around 11 p.m. Thursday, President John Fry wrote in a statement to the Temple community around 4 a.m.. The suspect, who Fry confirmed is another Temple student, is in custody.

“On behalf of the entire Temple community, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the student’s family,” Fry wrote. “I am heartbroken by the senseless loss of such a young life. This tragedy is difficult to comprehend, and my thoughts and prayers are with all who are grieving.”

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the victim was a 20-year-old who was shot in the chest. The student was taken to Temple University Hospital after the shooting but died of their injuries, Fry wrote.

02/06/2025

As a philosophy professor, Brian Hutler is no stranger to complex questions. But lately, the most pressing questions in his classroom aren’t about metaphysics or religion — they’re about artificial intelligence.

“We can’t ignore the ways AI is changing how knowledge gets created,” said Hutler, an assistant professor of philosophy. “Some of our teaching strategies should evolve to help students better understand these changes.”

Universities across the country have responded to AI’s rapid progression with policies that offer guidance on using the technology in academia. At Temple, this shift is prompting professors like Hutler to rethink how and what they teach to help students navigate AI’s growing role across various disciplines.

02/06/2025

Opinion Editor McCaillaigh Rouse reflects on how watching rom-coms has altered her perspective of love over time.

“Safety, comfort and happiness for me are in two hours of watching a movie on the couch. While I genuinely enjoy watching the artistry and passion of small indie films or the deeper, unspoken meanings in cinema, I’m always drawn to one genre in particular: Romantic comedies.

As I grew up, rom-coms became more than just movies – they were a shared ritualistic experience amongst friends. Watching these movies in high school felt like an act of womanhood. My friends and I would scream at the TV during moments like Darcy’s hand flex in “Pride and Prejudice” or discuss how hopelessly in love we were with Heath Ledger from “10 Things I Hate About You”.

Although many movies’ themes matured as I got older, the ending was typically the same. Despite the obstacles or trouble, love was always the solution. And for the longest time, I believed love was the cure-all for the trials and tribulations of reality.

But my perspective of romance changed when I recently watched my favorite, ‘When Harry Met Sally.’”

In 2017, one-year-old Lainey was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and has since lived with an undiagnosed progressive muscl...
02/06/2025

In 2017, one-year-old Lainey was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and has since lived with an undiagnosed progressive muscle disease. Lainey’s mom, Katy, was introduced to the organization Team IMPACT two years ago and thought it could be something her daughter would benefit from. Lainey was paired with Temple Volleyball and has been “on the roster” ever since, officially “signing” with the squad on March 25, 2024.

Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization that matches children with severe illnesses or disabilities with college athletic teams across the country to provide them with an extra support system outside of a hospital. Children are officially paired for two years but many teams maintain the relationship they built long afterwards.

Children with illnesses like Lainey’s live a very different life than their peers and are often stuck on the sidelines when others are playing sports or participating in activities. However, Lainey has felt like she is part of something bigger with Team IMPACT. When Lainey first met Temple’s volleyball players, she instantly felt like a part of the team.

“They really treated her like a queen,” said Lainey’s mom, Katy, about her daughter’s official “signing day.” “It was all about her and she felt that. She was beaming from ear to ear. We have pictures in her room and she's constantly showing anybody new who comes over those pictures of that time when she was the center of attention and she sat in front of everybody and everybody cheered for her. It was very meaningful. It definitely made a lasting impression on her.”

Temple has matched 17 Team IMPACT children to 10 different teams, starting in 2015 when Marcus was signed to Temple Men’s Basketball. Currently, there are five children on rosters including Lainey, Makai with Temple Men’s Soccer, Cairo with Temple Men’s Basketball, Jade’la with Temple Gymnastics and most recently, Caiden with Temple Men’s Tennis.

🔗: https://longform.temple-news.com/team-impact-helping-youth-through-temple-partnership/

02/06/2025

Both Philadelphia and Temple police officers will have a substantial presence around Main Campus during the Super Bowl this Sunday, wrote Jodi Bailey Accavallo, vice president for student affairs, and Jennifer Griffin, vice president for public safety, in a statement to students Thursday morning.

The statement also reinforced that violence of any kind, damaging property or littering in the Temple community will not be tolerated and will lead to university discipline. Security in residence halls and surveillance will be heightened during the day of the game.

“Even behavior that isn’t breaking the law may prove disruptive or disrespectful to our neighbors,” the statement wrote.

The university released a similar statement ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFC championship game on Jan. 26, cautioning students and reminding them of potential criminal and university disciplinary action in light of past incidents.

02/06/2025

Assistant Opinion Editor Bradley McEntee reflects on the experience of watching “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and how it helped them find self-love and humor through hardships.

Drag Race is about a lot more than drag. The gowns, latex bodysuits and mountainous wig styles are only the surface of the deeper lessons there are to excavate. Slowly but surely, I cracked open the shell of insecurities that kept me from being my fully realized self. I started to get into the show because of my love for drag, but I continue to tune in for the endearing messages.

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When Harrisburg’s CBS21 needed to ask Black men about the false claim Vice President Kamala Harris wasn’t Black, they pulled up on a barbershop. The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee selected a hair salon to cut an ad casting Republican Dave McCormick as a detriment to African American women. To the outside world, the hair styling hub has become a lighthouse for outsiders curious about Black Americans’ politics. Veteran journalist Linn Washington, Jr., argues the barbershop has morphed into a crutch for a white press unable to forge deep connections in Black communities. “It’s low-hanging fruit,” Washington, now a Temple professor, said. But some stylists say the media isn’t wrong to see the cuttery as a hub of candid conversation 🔗: https://temple-news.com/neighborhood-barber-shops-offer-haircuts-and-community/

Every Friday, Queue Rainey opens his home studio to the public in an attempt to develop the North Philadelphia music community. Each week, the event’s attendance and content varies. Turnout has taken a blow since the COVID-19 pandemic, but Rainey is working to rebuild the once-thriving community. His attempts at revitalization vary from his efforts to garner grants from Philadelphia nonprofits to his purchase of an inflatable projector screen, which he sets up outside to show old rap tapes. “In Philadelphia, music seems to be more than just a part of life,” Rainey said. I think it's literally how the younger generation moves as far as clout, stature, being oneself, so to speak, and feeling proud within.”

On this week’s episode of RePrint News Freelancer Aubren Villasenor talks about a state certification the university has received for its efforts into campus mental health. Features Editor, Bayleh Alexander, talks about Temple’s upcoming campus bar and restaurant, The Peabody, which will open by Nov. 4 after two years of delays. All this and more on this week’s new episode of RePrint now available on Spotify and Youtube. https://temple-news.com/september-25-strides-in-mental-health-services/

On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off in Philadelphia for their first presidential debate ahead of November's election. Students and organization leaders hosted watched parties all across Temple's campus and the city. The Temple News' staff reported live from the ABC media filing center and spin room, Temple Democrats, Temple RISE and Temple Republicans' watch parties, and a gathering held by the Klein College of Media and Communication. Video shot by Kajsa Morse, Ava Campbell, Jeremy Shover and Samuel O'Neal. Edited by Kajsa Morse, Ava Campbell and Jeremy Shover.

Want to keep up with all things Temple Athletics? The Temple News' bi-weekly sports podcast The Playbook is back for the 2024-25 year! The TTN Sports staff returns for season three of the Playbook and kicks off the year by breaking down Temple Football's season opener, Temple Volleyball and Field Hockey's great start, and mixed success from Men's and Women's Soccer. 🔗: https://temple-news.com/september-4-the-owls-fall-to-oklahoma/

Yesterday, Temple's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine organized a march, demanding the university condemn Israel and divest in monetary support. The march began at Charles Library before protesters moved to Alter Hall and finished by going north up Broad Street to the Hillel Center for Jewish Life. Many Jewish students were in the building as protesters shouted from across the street. Video shot and edited by Kajsa Morse.

Graduation is only a few days away... hear from some of our @TheTempleNews Spring 2024 & Fall 2024 seniors about their favorite newsroom memories from the past four years. The Temple News' 2024 Commencement Issue is out now! Read more at the link in our bio and in newsstands around campus.

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