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The Temple News, 1755 N 13th Street, Rm 243, Philadelphia, PA (2025)

12/03/2025

Co-News Editor Connor Pugh reflects on the importance of service and retail work to students and young workers nationally and how their work inspires him.

“Working in any sort of service or retail job — a stocker at a grocery store, a waiter or a clerk — is a valuable act of service to communities across the globe.

Nearly every single person I’ve met in college, including myself, has worked in service or retail alongside their academic careers at some point, taking shifts after classes or returning to work during breaks. Whether they dipped their toes or were forcefully plunged, these sorts of jobs are a common experience for most college students, especially at a public institution like Temple.

Taking any sort of job is never an easy decision, and even if it’s just a dishwasher or a clerk, the impact of their work cannot be overstated. More specialized careers that require long years of education and training are often more desirable to many and can be the ultimate end goal for some, but this does not minimize the importance of these simple jobs that keep the world spinning.

Ultimately, it's the simple fact that people continue to work despite all the individual challenges they may face that inspires me. When I bite into a slice of pizza that is still warm from the comfort of my own home or get a nice conversation with a waiter at a restaurant, I can value the labor that is put into such simple conveniences and appreciate the people who took the time and effort to accomplish it.”

A student reflects on how workers in retail and service industries are inspiring in their dedication and effort.

12/03/2025

Temple’s Institutional Advancement Office increased its interactions with alumni and partnered with deans to improve fundraising and philanthropic efforts under President John Fry and Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Al Checcio, who was appointed in September.

The university received more than $133 million in gifts during fiscal year 2025, the most Temple has recorded in a single fiscal year.

“Last year was the best year in the history of the university,” Checcio said. “We’ll probably exceed that by a lot this year.”

Temple raised $93 million as of Nov. 18, triple the $31 million raised by the same date in fiscal year 2025. Checcio expects Temple to be in the $160-$180 million range for fiscal year 2026 and predicts the university can raise $200 million in 2027.

In 2024, Temple failed to reach its fundraising goal by only raising around $102 million, The Temple News reported in February. Mary Burke, former vice president of institutional advancement, resigned a month later.

Three months before Burke’s resignation, Fry began an evaluation of the office ahead of a fundraising campaign for Temple’s 150-year anniversary. Checcio initiated the review in January and took control of university fundraising and philanthropic efforts in an interim capacity in March.

“I found a program that was not as productive as our peer institutions, and didn’t have the direction that it needed,” Checcio said.

The Institutional Advancement Office has increased its interactions with alumni and deans to improve fundraising efforts following the department’s restructuring earlier in the year.

12/03/2025

Co-Sports Editor Colin Schofield reflects on how his dad has inspired him through sports and journalism.

Most of my childhood memories are set in the Xfinity Center and Camden Yards, home to Maryland Basketball and the Baltimore Orioles. Going to those games was the highlight of my pre-college life and there was always one constant: my dad.

It was always the two of us at those games. We complained about the idiots sitting behind us or debated about the ways our favorite team was going to find a way to lose a winnable game. My love for sports was crafted sitting in the stands with my dad, where it shaped my eventual career goals.

I sat in the press box of Lincoln Financial Field during Temple Football’s game against Navy on Oct. 11 and felt a hand clasp my shoulder. It was my dad, standing there with the “proud father” look on his face.

I am his oldest son and have felt the weight of impressing him my entire life. So, seeing that look come across his face, I was fulfilled. He saw me making strides toward my dream, a dream fueled by watching him. I look at how he carries himself — the motivation, respect for others and success he has found — and know that’s where I want to be someday.

A student reflects on how their dad has inspired them at each step of life…

12/03/2025

Governor Josh Shapiro signed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act into law on Nov. 25, banning discrimination based on hairstyles and hair textures historically associated with race and cultural identity.

Adjoa B. Asamoah, 1998 African studies and psychology and 2001 educational psychology alumna and political strategist, helped create the CROWN Act, which was first signed into law in California in 2019. Pennsylvania is the 28th state to sign the policy into law.

“This has been a multi-year effort, multi-session effort,” Asamoah said. “I am grateful that [the sponsors] never gave up.”

The CROWN Act prevents employers, businesses and schools from discriminating against hairstyles like braids, twists, afros, locs and extensions, which are historically associated with Black women and men.

Alumna Adjoa B. Asamoah developed and championed the policy for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

12/03/2025

Timothy Welbeck taught “Hip Hop and Black Culture” for more than 12 years. Despite the various artists Welbeck included in his material, the professor continuously returned to Kendrick Lamar’s music as a window into the Black experience.

This semester, Welbeck taught a course solely focused on Lamar.

“Kendrick’s work helps articulate the lived experiences of people who came of age in the time and place that he did,” Welbeck said. “But it’s also a way to help articulate various components of Black life.”

"Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D. City,” a one-credit elective, debuted in the fall semester through the Department of Africology and African American Studies and was renewed for the Spring 2026 semester after overwhelming student interest. The course was originally budgeted for 40 students but ultimately hosted 87.

The course syllabus includes dissecting Lamar’s life, legacy, and art through the lens of urban policy, Lamar’s music and various texts, including a biography on Lamar. Welbeck uses music videos, guest speakers who have collaborated with Lamar and even Lamar’s legal battle with Drake to understand the artist.

“Kendrick lets his art speak for him,” said Kania Sullivan-Lee, a freshman media studies and production major who is currently in the class. “I like the discipline and mental fortitude it takes to ignore the outside noise and focus on [his] craft.”

“Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D. City” was renewed for Spring 2026 after a successful debut this fall.

12/03/2025

Kylie Gallagher, a freshman film and media arts major, reflects on how photography inspires her to live in the moment.

“Cameras can capture moments only a select few witness firsthand.

Most people can capture photographs, but only a few have the vision required to make them special. From iPod Touches with cracked screens, to cheap disposable cameras whose film gets lost at the local CVS, all the way down to the expensive DSLRs that overheat a little too easily.

My dad gave me my first camera after his coworker left it in the break room for anyone to take home. I never used a camera before, but I spent all of middle school learning how to use it. Through the years I expanded the subjects of my photography. I went from capturing my own pets to everything that surrounded me when I stepped outside.

For years, my SD cards and film rolls were covered in photos of forests, parks and unique trees. Before coming to Temple, I lived in a Pennsylvania suburb with easy access to nature. Because of the proximity, nature was my constant muse for the photos I took.

While I can no longer actively capture those types of photos, the collection grew through years keeps me inspired to grow as a photographer. I have started to capture more of the city views instead of the natural landscapes I was used to.

Photography is the most effective tool to memorialize moments forever. Photos trap instances exactly as they were for the future, but they also make beautiful tributes out of events or items that might be seen as ordinary.

Photography inspires me to live in the moment while also appreciating the art in every second of it. Without the ability to capture some of life’s greatest gifts, they lose importance.”

A student shares how photography helps her capture landscapes and take a closer look at her environment.

12/02/2025

As the sun reached its high peak on Saturday — golden, watchful, almost ceremonial — the air settled into a crisp autumn sweetness. About 100 people gathered at the Awbury Agricultural Village grounds, wrapped in scarves, and kept warm by boots that crunched leaves with each step.

Fingerless, fleece, woolen and mismatched gloves held fast to the promise of warmth, adventure, and goat-induced mischief.

The third annual Philly GOAT Walk, hosted by the Philly Goat Project and Lenape Nation Talk, invited attendees to walk on grounds layered with the footsteps of Lenape lineage. The procession began at Awbury Agricultural Village grounds and made its way back towards herding grounds after a session of cultural insight at the Arboretum.

“An event like this teaches us to appreciate the importance and merit of diverse stories and histories,” said Leslie Jackson, Philly Goat Project’s director of operations.

More than 100 people gathered at Awbury Agricultural Village to honor indigenous ancestry on Saturday.

12/02/2025

Assistant Opinion Editor Logan Thompson reflects on the weight and worth of her family name, exploring how legacy, responsibility and lineage have shaped her identity.

“There is a quote that has been ingrained in our family and reflects what it means to be a Thompson: “It’s the responsibility of every generation to make it better for the next generation.” The quote is carved into my great-grandmother’s headstone, resting beside my grandfather.

He passed those words down to me when I spent the summers in South Carolina with him and my grandmother when I was around nine years old. Every time he said them, I felt proud but also a little overwhelmed. It was like he saw something in me I had yet to grow into.

He’d tease my grandmother, host family gatherings at his home, cook huge meals for every occasion and sit in the backyard watching my cousins and me run around while a sports game was played in the background. He was the anchor of our family. To the community, he was someone people could count on whether they shared blood or not.

After my grandfather’s passing, our family had to adjust in ways that made the weight of our name feel even clearer. My dad naturally stepped into a leadership role, doing everything he could to continue both the Thompson legacy and the spirit of “Wolf,” my grandfather’s nickname.

Being a Thompson is more than just having the name; it’s carrying the weight of those values, honoring the people who built the foundation beneath me and learning how to grow into my own branch of the family tree.”

A student shares the meaning behind her family name and how legacy, responsibility and coming-of-age has shaped who she’s becoming.

12/02/2025

Temple seemed to be on top of the world on Oct. 25. The Owls took down Tulsa by one point in an overtime shootout for their second straight win and fifth victory of the season. All they needed to do was win one of their final four games to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.

Before the season started, bowl eligibility was not expected. Temple had not won more than three games or a conference road game since the 2019 season and was winless against all road opponents since 2021. K.C. Keeler took the reins in the offseason and he turned that thought into a realistic outcome.

Instead, the Owls crashed back to earth. Temple lost its final four games. The offense, which looked vastly improved this season, went quiet and the defense couldn’t stay healthy.

The end of the season puts a dim shadow on Temple’s most successful campaign since 2019. Keeler took a program that was wading through an endless abyss of disappointment and nearly had it in a bowl game in his first season. The offense was revitalized, records were broken and some players emerged as potential core pieces of the future. While the Owls did not reach their bowl goals, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel entering the offseason.

“This is what Temple is going to be,” said tight end Peter Clarke. “We’re gonna play tough, hard football for four quarters and we signed up for 12 games and we’re going to play like that for 12 games.”

Temple Football lost its final four games of the season but finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, recording its most wins since 2019.

12/02/2025

“I always admired my father growing up. I anticipated whenever he showed up at school for class parties and even begged him to chaperone for my class field trips. I went to the same elementary school that my mother taught at, while my dad worked an hour away.

I never saw him much during the week, so any extra time meant the world to me. That golden image faded once I hit fourth grade.

My dad struggled with alcoholism for much of my childhood and his absence began to increase. Eventually, my emotions boiled and I broke down in class with just one thought in my mind — my dad hates me.

College helped the issues go away through time. I saw my dad taking the steps to connect with me and, after being scared to make the initial jump, I pushed myself to do the same. We planned to start calling once a week, which turned into calling randomly. Sometimes it was as simple as me trash talking him when the Steelers lost. Other times, I did so just because I missed him.

I think sometimes we see our parents in rose tinted glasses, for obvious reasons — they are like superheroes to us. What I admire about my dad is he’s human. While he has had his faults, he has been able to get past them. He has been able to teach me that healing takes time but it’s possible to improve as a person.

So, that’s what I strive to be like; I want to be just like my dad.”

A student reflects on his relationship with his father and how his bond has grown over time.

12/02/2025

Temple received $158.2 million in state funding after Pennsylvania lawmakers passed the nonpreferred appropriations bill on Nov. 19, marking the seventh consecutive year the university’s appropriation remained flat.

The $50.1 billion state budget was signed on Nov. 12, 135 days past the June 30 deadline.

The university relies on 12 monthly installments and is currently invoicing the state for five months’ worth of missed payments, totaling around $65 million. The delay raised cash-flow concerns but legislative support for the appropriation remained consistent throughout negotiations, said Brian Keech, vice president for government and community relations.

“The delay did present a concern for us, but there was never any doubt that we had some very strong support in the general assembly and from the governor,” said Dennis Lynch, assistant vice president of government relations. “It was just a matter of the entire budget being reconciled, and then our piece followed the way it did.”

Temple received $158.2 million after months-long budget delay, marking the seventh year of flat state funding.

12/02/2025

Copy Editor Bradley McEntee reflects on how going out wearing hand-me-down clothes inspires them to be more lively.

“The first night I graced the dance floor of Franky Bradley’s Saturday after my 21st birthday, I wore a black Janet Jackson t-shirt, jean shorts and a pair of Oxfords.The simplicity of the ensemble was deliberate, because going out that night I knew the shirt had to be on display. I needed Janet’s face to smile at my neighbors on the dance floor as we jostled elbows.Most importantly, it needed to be seen because it was Tim’s.

Tim died two years ago, just before Thanksgiving. I never met him, but I quickly became the recipient of many of his belongings. He was my stepdad’s brother, who lived much of his early life entrenched in Philadelphia’s q***r nightlife. Receiving his clothing and posters that felt so ingrained with his identity made me feel like a spiritual successor of sorts.

It was like family heirlooms being passed from one generation of q***rness to the next. After his death, I made a vow to wear his clothes the first time I went to a gay bar after I turned 21. That night at Franky Bradley’s I made sure to fulfill that promise. I flirted with a few guys that first night, got too drunk and laid my body out on the pavement waiting for a Lyft. But as long as Tim was with me, I was having fun for the both of us.

Sometimes I forget to include him, like the nights I change my clothes at red lights after work. I’ve realized I unintentionally suppress myself when Tim is absent like a subconscious mental block. It takes me longer to open up to strangers or start a rapport with the bartenders.

But when I have his spirit with me, I am inclined to shake free my real-world stressors at the door. Together, we run towards salvation in the form of house music and cheap vodka.

When I wore his clothes I made meaningful connections with people I met taking shots in the bathrooms. Sometimes I wake up with sticky legs from a drink that spilled down my leg after dancing skin to skin or with the taste of another person’s spit in my mouth, I’m instantly flooded with regret. But when I lock eyes with the Janet poster across from my bed, a smile creeps across my face.”

A student reflects on how wearing hand-me-downs when going dancing inspires them to be more open.

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