Obama’s early morning

It was a visit two years in the making. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama hadn’t been to North Philadelphia since an October 2006 visit to McGonigle Hall, but it was worth the wait for many.

In preparation for Saturday’s rally at Progress Plaza, some supporters camped out overnight to reserve spots close to the front of the rally’s stage. Those who didn’t spend the night in the streets were forced to wait on a line that stretched to Girard Avenue. The event drew thousands of neighborhood residents and students.

Obama took the stage before 9 a.m. and received thunderous cheers. In his speech, he tried to quell the crowd’s fear of the current economic crisis.

“I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried,” Obama said. “But I also know now is not the time for fear, now is not the time for panic. Now is the time for resolve and steady leadership. Because I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis.”

He told the crowd he would help bring more jobs to the city and the state.

“No one works harder than the folks in Philly, the folks here in Pennsylvania,” he said. “Just ask my friend Joe Biden. He’ll tell you.”

Obama recognized his opponent Sen. John McCain’s service to the country and thanked him but said McCain doesn’t get what Americans need.

“When it comes to the economy and what families in Pennsylvania are going through, Senator McCain still doesn’t get it.”

With his proposed healthcare reforms, Obama said coverage would be given to those without.

“Under my plan, if you’ve got health coverage, the only thing that’s going to change is we’re going to lower your premiums,” Obama said. “If you don’t have health insurance, we’ll give you the same kind of health insurance that I have as a member of Congress.”

The senator also discussed ending the war in Iraq and using the money that is being spent to create more jobs for Americans.

Aaron Spangler, a sophomore political science major, waited in line for two hours to see Obama.
“What didn’t bring me here,” Spangler said. “It’s the opportunity to see the most important political figure so far in this century.”

Obama supporter Elois Howard said Obama’s campaign brought tears to her eyes.

“I just never thought I would actually be alive for this, and my mother is in her 70s, and it’s just amazing,” Howard said. “I pinch myself all the time because I can’t believe its happening.”
Howard said if Obama isn’t elected in November this will never happen again.

Mayor Michael Nutter and Gov. Ed Rendell introduced Obama at the first of his four appearances Saturday. Nutter brushed aside doubts the turnout would be low for the early morning rally.

“We’ve got the candidate, we’ve got a mission,” Nutter said. “We’re about to take this country back and push it in the right direction.”

Rendell reminded voters that it isn’t enough to just be registered, turnout at the polls on Nov. 4 is essential.

“In the primary, only 53 percent of registered voters in Philadelphia turned out,” Rendell said. “Ladies and gentlemen, 24 days from today will not cut it. If we want to make sure Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States, we need to turn out at least 75 percent.”

He encouraged supporters to help get as many people possible voting on Election Day. Rendell said Obama has done what he can, and it is up to the public now.

“Senator Obama has done everything he could to bring us to this point,” Rendell said. “For two years, he has campaigned across the length of this country.”

LeAnne Matlach can be reached at leannematlach@temple.edu.

Students in Yorktown face eviction

When Kourtney Bailey signed a lease in June 2008 to rent a house on the 1500 block of Guilford Place in Yorktown, she expected to fulfill the duration of a year-long tenancy. Instead, the senior communications major received an eviction notice last Tuesday when she arrived home from class.

Bailey signed the contract, unaware that her occupancy would violate an ordinance known as the North Central Philadelphia Community Special District Controls.

Enacted in 2005, the ordinance prohibits the construction of multiple-family dwellings, apartment and tenement houses and absentee landlords who rent properties to students.

“I don’t know what to do. I didn’t know that [the ordinance] was really that serious,” Bailey said. “[The eviction notice] notified us of the ordinance and that we were in violation of it and that we could potentially be kicked out.”

On Oct. 8, Maura Kennedy, deputy press secretary for Mayor Michael Nutter, confirmed that the Department of Licenses and Inspections would notify property owners who were in violation of the ordinance.

Bailey’s landlord has not contacted her regarding the legality of tenancy.

“I just don’t know how serious it is, so I told my mom about it, and I’m going to send her the letter that they sent to my house,” Bailey said. “She said that she’s going to look over it and talk to my landlord about it.”

Temple students are living in about 35 houses that are in violation of the ordinance. Of those, 18 houses have been issued citations by L&I.

Longtime resident Chester Smith said the property value of his home, located on the 1200 block of Master Street, has increased due to the number of students living in Yorktown.

“I know what I paid for my house, and I know what I can get now,” Smith said.

Smith said the expansion of Temple in surrounding neighborhoods promotes economic vitality in North Philadelphia.

“I know that years ago when Temple first started building those big buildings, a lot of people didn’t like that, but I don’t see nobody doing anything. You can’t have blight,” Smith said.

Junior elementary education major Erica Scopino resides in a house on the 1200 block of 12th Street. Though she has not received an eviction notice from L&I, her landlord is in violation of the regulation, which prohibits property owners from constructing multi-family student housing.

“There are four bedrooms and [my landlord] said originally a lot of [houses] were only three. She said she got special permission from the city to [add a room],” Scopino said.

Scopino’s landlord has yet to contact her regarding a pending eviction notice.

“I found it funny that our landlord had no idea that this was going on. I’m sure she has to have some idea about this,” Scopino said.

Scopino said student tenants in Yorktown should not be held accountable for landlords’ negligence.
“If anything, I think [the city] should be fining the landlords and letting us at least live out the rest of the lease and then taking these houses away from the landlords,” she said.

William Carter, the director of legislative affairs for City Councilman Darrell Clarke, issued a statement informing students that they would not have to move until the end of the Fall 2008 semester.

“I was freaking out because if we do have to get evicted, I’m going to have to drop out of school,” Scopino said. “If we have to get kicked out now, how are we going to finish the semester? It’s crazy. If there is an ordinance, why hadn’t [the city] done something before it got into the middle of our leases?”

Director of University Communications Ray Betzner said the most serious concern is students’ academic pursuits that are going to be interrupted by the evictions.

“We’re right here in the middle of the semester, and to have that interrupted by having to relocate [puts] a pretty big stress on students,” Betzner said.

Student tenants in Yorktown are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Capt. Eileen Bradley of Campus Safety Services.. She can be contacted at eileen.bradley@temple.edu.

“The responsibility of a lot of this relies on the landlord, but students need to be very aware of what potential restrictions may be on where they’re living,” Betzner said.

Smith is concerned that the evictions will force houses into abandonment in the coming years.
“This part of town is not bad,” Smith said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to stay this way, but I always said when I saw a boarded up house, that’s when I’m leaving.”

Brittany Diggs can be reached at bdiggs@temple.edu.

Fall bug: it’s back and biting

The Temple bug is back and biting harder than ever.

With the fall season in full effect, runny noses, itchy throats and chronic coughs are common symptoms for sick students who are coughing and sneezing, going to class and spreading their germs.
Colds and viruses are widely spread on campus. For students to understand the real reason behind the bug, they have to know more than the traditional myth that claims dressing warm during this time of year will prevent sickness.

“With the start of a new year, students are thrown into a hectic lifestyle with more stress and more social interaction than what they experienced over the summer,” said Dr. Jay Segal, professor of public health. “Your body is forced to use more energy, causing your immune system to work inefficiently.”

According to the University of Virginia Health System, a cold is caused by a virus that inflames the membranes in the lining of the nose and throat and can be the result of more than 200 different viruses. It is estimated that in one year, people in the United States will suffer a total of 1 billion colds. In the fall, most students are accustomed to the colds that circulate on campus.

“I knew it was going to happen,” said junior piano pedagogy major Jiselle Warner. “I usually catch a cold once I leave home and this year was no different.”

The best way to prevent colds is to have a balanced diet and get plenty of rest, which can sometimes be difficult for college students. Many students living in residence halls are in close contact with others. The heightened social interaction can increase the risk of spreading contagious illnesses.

Cases of Mononucleosis have been reported on campus. Mononucleosis is caused by a virus and results in an increase in white blood cells. Symptoms include fever, swelling of lymph nodes and exhaustion. Those affected usually recover in a few weeks, but there is no specific treatment.

The Student Health Services office, located at 1810 Liacouras Walk, is an accessible resource for students with healthcare problems or questions.

“I visited Temple’s health facilities, and they did a blood test to determine if I did indeed have Mono,” said sophomore biophysics major Arianna Mangus. “They gave me steroids to reduce the inflammation in my throat. I think I got it from sharing drinks with people.”

“The importance of sleep should not be undervalued,” Segal said. “Ultimately, you should be a good manager of your time and your life.”

Monica Sellecchia can be reached at monica@temple.edu.

Father’s teachings pay off with son

Steve Mauro’s life got a little more hectic this year.

Aside from resuming his responsibilities as head coach of the men’s tennis team, he is in his first year of directing the women’s team. Luckily, he has a familiar face close by.

Mauro’s son, Kurt, a freshman, is suiting up for the Owls this season. It’s just one way he can stay closer to his family throughout the grind of a season.

“It’s actually a lot of fun,” Steve said. “I feel privileged that I could see him five days, six days a week here on campus, so as a father it’s great to have that opportunity.”

Steve is also a professional tennis instructor at Fossler Cheltenham Tennis Center in Elkins Park, Pa. Before calling the shots for the Owls, he spent two years, 2004 and 2005, as the men’s tennis coach at Ursinus College. His initial gravitation toward the sport ultimately led to Kurt finding a swing of his own.

“I’ve been coaching Kurt since he was 6 years old, so to coach him at the college level is really no different,” Steve said. “I treat him the same way that I have in the past.”

Kurt has found solace through his father’s teachings. Years of repetition have given the duo a unique connection.

“He doesn’t really coach me too much because I know what I have to do to win,” Kurt said. “He’s been coaching me for so long, I know when I make a mistake. I know what he wants me to do.”

The Collegeville, Pa., native is making a smooth progression to collegiate tennis, but the route wasn’t always so clear. Midway through his sophomore year of high school, Kurt moved to Florida. While taking online courses, he used his spare time to catapult his skills to a higher level.

“If it wasn’t for that, I don’t know if I’d be able to play at this high level,” Kurt said. “[In] Pennsylvania, it’s colder in the winter — it’s hard. Down in Florida, there are so many good players, and I can play everyday there.”

Naturally, Steve has challenged Kurt on the court. But off it, he wants his son to make the most of his college career as well.

“I think I’ve always been harder on both of my children than the other guys,” Steve said. “I mean, I do have high expectations, but I want him to really enjoy his college experience here at Temple, and so far it’s been a good thing.”

With the appropriate tutor looking over his shoulder, Kurt has the opportunity to make the team’s spring lineup, which will be decided in late February. Currently, he is recovering from a hand injury suffered during the summer.

Until then, Kurt continues to work out with the team in practice. He’s also taking the steps necessary to improve his game for the long term.

“[I’m] getting my fitness better and going to the gym a lot and stepping up fitness-wise,” Kurt said. “Practicing a lot, as much as I can, try and get on the court everyday.”

As for the chances of a third Mauro joining the team? Although Steve’s youngest son – 16-year-old Derek – plays the game, it appears he has other ambitions.

“My son Derek is a very talented player,” Steve said. “Unfortunately, tennis is not his main interest. He’s into mixed martial arts.”

This weekend the men’s team heads to Bradenton, Fla., for the Bollettieri-Triebly Tennis Open.

Anthony Stipa can be reached at anthony.stipa@temple.edu.

Hefty fines for parking, no solutions

Parking on Main Campus has repeatedly been a growing pain and a nuisance for all the students that have to drive to campus.

Unfortunately, things have apparently gotten worse, especially for students with classes after 8:40 a.m.

With the construction of the new Tyler School of Art and Alter Hall, there are new “No Parking” signs lining the most convenient street behind the Student Center. The busy block of 12th Street and Montgomery Avenue is where late night “TECHies” tend to park their cars for all-nighters.

As you head toward Cecil B. Moore Avenue from 12th Street, the right-hand side of the street lost about six parking spots during the summer, with two new “No Parking” signs taking their place. Parking on campus has transformed from an annoying headache to a full blown migraine.

“I got a ticket there because they added that sign over the summer,” said Melissa Menardy, a junior tourism and hospitality management major.

Her $41 parking ticket is only one of her parking frustrations.

“On-campus parking is so much money that I have to park on the street, and when I do, I have to park four or five blocks away from all of my classes,” she added.

Most Main Campus parking lots request exact change while some are guaranteed access only, which means the spots are already paid for. All the spots are high priced, including the lot across the street from the Student Center, which costs $12 to park for a college student who probably isn’t even making $10 per hour at work.

The frustration definitely goes beyond Temple students, as some faculty members have decided to leave their cars at home all together.

“I ride a bicycle,” said George Miller, assistant professor of journalism. “So parking is a breeze.”

There are some incentives for not driving to campus. The lack of parking spots can motivate people to walk, ride bikes, skateboard and rollerblade or utilize other recreational means of transportation.

What about when it gets cold outside? What about the mornings you can’t ride your bicycle over the black ice-streaked streets with ruthless Philadelphia drivers intimidating bikers on the road? The exercise sounds like an easy way to make up for lost gym time, but the potential accidents and the freezing cold temperatures force students to car pool, use public transportation or walk. SEPTA is not the safest mode of transportation, and some people just don’t have enough time to spend a half an hour walking to campus.

Unfortunately, it seems the most convenient solution would be to drive to campus and dig a hole in your pockets for the parking lots, semester parking passes or the same for parking tickets.

In the end, you may find that you’d almost be spending the same amount of money on parking tickets as you would for the on-campus lots or a semester long pass.

Tara Moore can be reached at tara.moore@temple.edu.

Inside look at campus life for prospective students

The search for the right college is about finding the perfect fit. Prospective students often tour colleges in hopes of making the right decision. For schools that are too far to visit, a new Web site gives students an inside look of campuses across the nation.

Unigo.com is an online college guidebook that features reviews, videos and photos to assist students in learning about schools.

The Web site launched in September with reviews for 225 colleges. Unigo.com provides its users with responses from students currently enrolled in colleges and universities. Current students rate schools on topics such as professor accessibility, sports, campus social life and dormitories.

A profile on Temple is listed on unigo.com. A student who posted on the site praised the university for its diverse student body and Main Campus’ friendly and vibrant atmosphere.

Another student wrote, “Temple is a melting pot – all different styles, ages, races, beliefs and affiliations. The students and professors are quite diverse and sometimes make for an interesting experience.”

Complaints about the university’s off-campus housing policy were also posted. Many students complained about the hassle of moving off campus for their junior years. They criticized the university for failing to meet the housing needs of upperclassmen. Students also shared their disdain about the frequency of crime in North Philadelphia.

Unigo.com encourages users to share their opinions, rather than having prospective students learning from colleges’ and universities’ Web sites or brochures.

“The problem is that a school tries to market itself to everybody and what that means is that they’re boarding the experience of what happens at that school,” said Jessica Gross, an editor at unigo.com. “The concept of Unigo is that instead of just getting the general idea the school puts out about why it’s great for everybody, you can see if it’s a good fit for you as an individual.”

Site visitors can see how many students from their high school attend a particular college. The site also includes advice ranging from how to pay for college to how to cram for a test.

“I wish I’d known about a site like this. It probably would have helped me in my choice of colleges,” said Brianna D’Florence, a freshman art history major. “The students give you all the hidden little gems the school doesn’t tell you.”

Unigo.com does not restrict what users can post, but the site’s editors do remove overtly offensive postings.

“We’re hoping that colleges will embrace the idea of letting students have a voice and talk about not only what they like, but also what they dislike,” Gross said. “If a lot of students are complaining about something, than it’s a great thing for a school to know and hopefully act on it.”

Director of Admissions Karin West Mormando said she “felt genuinely positive” about what students posted on unigo.com.

“I would hope that one negative comment wouldn’t paint a whole perspective of the university experience.”

Erika Ransom can be reached at erika.ransom@temple.edu.

AFSCME to rally with TAUP today

Temple’s faculty and other employees will rally for new contracts in front of Sullivan Hall outside the Board of Trustees meeting at 3 p.m. on Oct. 14.

The university’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Temple Association of University Professionals have attempted to come to an agreement with the university on new contracts.

TAUP, which consists of 1,250 faculty members, has been negotiating terms for its contract scheduled to expire tomorrow. AFSCME’s contract expired on Oct. 31, 2007.

AFSCME consists of more than 750 professional and technical employees on campus including laboratory managers, programmers, analysts and accountants.

Twelve negotiating sessions between AFSCME and the university were held during the past year.

A final proposal was made to the union on May 19, 2008, said Sharon Boyle, assistant vice president of labor and employee relations. She said AFSCME was asked to take the proposal to its members in order to obtain a vote. However, it failed to obtain a vote and did not schedule another meeting with the university’s negotiating team.

“We are open to meeting with them again, but they have not scheduled any sessions,” said Paul Dannenfelser, president of AFSCME.

The university’s last proposal does not guarantee that employees will receive across the board living increases, Dannenfelser said.

The last offer made to AFSCME included the merit pay proposition, as did the last offer made to TAUP, but it also gave AFSCME members a non-merit pay option, Boyle said.

Dannenfelser said AFSCME also disagrees with the university’s desire to increase employees’ share in the payment of health insurance.

“We’re just interested in getting a fair raise,” Dannenfelser said. “It’s only right being that Temple has done so well in the past few years.”

“Our hope has always been to come to a final resolution,” Boyle said. “We have a final proposal out there.”

“It’s clear that they’re encouraging a hostile relationship,” Dannenfelser said. “They don’t want to sit down with us and negotiate.”

“We’re interested in coming to a fair resolution,” Dannenfelser said. “It’s not in the best interest of the staff or the students to insist on an unfair pay plan, which denies employees a fair raise, especially in the current economic situation.”

Although AFSCME is attempting to unite with TAUP, it is two separate bargaining units, Boyle said.
“They’ve just lost a lot of time by doing that,” Boyle said.

Temple’s Student Labor Action Project has been working with AFSCME since its contract expired last year.

“The university is doing to AFSCME what they’re trying to do to TAUP,” said Wes Weaver, president of SLAP. “SLAP has always been supportive of AFSCME, but in our opinion this new policy merit pay is deplorable.”

Weaver, a junior geography and urban studies major, said merit pay promotes a work environment in which the staff is forced to fight against each other for raises that the union has no power to negotiate.

“As students, it is in our best interest for staff to work together, otherwise they will not work as effectively,” Weaver said. “The quality of our education would suffer.”

SLAP will be present at the rally. Weaver said SLAP has been working with other student organizations such as the Student Peace Alliance, Students for Environmental Action and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance.

“The university is causing a lot of labor unrest on campus,” Weaver said. “As students, we must get behind our faculty, staff and employees and fight for fair and beneficial conditions for them.”

Kathryn A. López can be reached at kathryn.lopez@temple.edu.

Secular Club takes new angle on issues

It was during a counter-protest for the Genocide Awareness Project in Fall 2007 when Austin Wulf and Barry Greenstein met to begin the first stages of forming the Secular Society of Temple University.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

Officially recognized on campus in Spring 2007, SSTU was created in order to advocate and promote the separation of church and state.

“We are acting in line with the wishes of our Founding Fathers, who also wanted this to be a secular and pluralist democracy,” said Greenstein, a senior biological anthropology major and vice president of the organization. “You can’t have freedom of religion without freedom from religion. It’s a matter of sine qua non, without which cannot be.”

SSTU promotes scientific ideologies and provides support for secular students and their allies.
“We are not anti-religious. In fact, we have quite a few religious people in our group,” said Wulf, president of SSTU and a sophomore philosophy major.

While SSTU stemmed from the idea of an atheist group, both Wulf and Greenstein agreed that a secular group would make it more inclusive.

SSTU’s adviser is a faculty member in the religion department.

Wulf said secularism is observing life in such a way that religion doesn’t have a huge impact in it, especially in politics.

In order to promote its ideals, SSTU hosts events, promotions, lectures and discussions. Every other Thursday during meetings, time is set aside for discussions to enhance the critical thinking of members. One of the current hot topics is Sarah Palin and the upcoming election, Wulf said.

As an emerging organization, its first step was creating a Facebook group. They started gaining membership and interest through the online social networking site, and once interest mounted, the group became an affiliate of the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry.

According to the Secular Student Alliance’s Web site, its purpose is to educate high school and college students on the “value of scientific reason and intellectual basis of secularism in its atheistic and humanistic manifestations.”

The Center for Inquiry encompasses the same ideals. According to its Web site, “Wherever possible, inquiry should provide rational guidelines for thought and conduct.”

Since the group is still in its beginning stages, it has not participated in any official events, but has plans for upcoming months. It intends to host a fundraising event called Campus Paranormal Challenge, in which students attempt to prove such things as poltergeists and extrasensory perception, Greenstein said. SSTU also plans to participate in a counter-protest on campus against the Repent America group in the upcoming weeks.

The organization meets on the third floor of Tuttleman Learning Center every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., but is looking into a more permanent location.

Amanda Fries can be reached at amanda.fries@temple.edu.

Temple could learn from Ball State, Rutgers

Three years ago, Rutgers appeared in its first bowl game since 1978, quietly finishing the 2005 season 7-5, its first winning record in 13 years.

The Scarlet Knights weren’t so subtle in 2006, shocking the college football world with their 9-0 start. Last year, they played in their third straight bowl game, beating a long-time doormat that finally posted a winning season.

That team was Ball State, which finished 7-6, its first winning season since 1996. Like Rutgers, the Cardinals have followed their initial success with a loud 7-0 start and their first ever appearance in the Associated Press rankings.

Here at Temple, we’re still waiting for the Owls to join the party.

The Owls fell 24-14 to Central Michigan on Saturday and at 2-5 seem destined for their 18th straight losing season.

Temple is beyond fashionably late.

Or maybe our preseason expectations were a bit too lofty.

That might seem like an odd claim to make. But admit it, there was an even odder sense of optimism swirling around the football team in August, especially after it opened the season with a 35-7 victory against Army.

But a closer look at the turnarounds of the aforementioned programs shows the Owls’ efforts might not be off target.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano suffered through four straight losing seasons, including a 1-11 second-year campaign, before the 2005 Knights provided that first glimmer of success. (Note to Al Golden: after three straight winning seasons, Schiano is still there.)

Ball State coach Brady Hoke also witnessed four consecutive losing seasons before the Cardinals turned the table in 2007.

But neither of them inherited the mess Golden did when he took Temple’s reins in December 2005. Let’s take a quick walk down Nightmare Lane.

The Owls had been kicked out of the Big East Conference and the program’s fate was unknown as late as spring 2005. There was talk of the program being cut or dropping to a lower subdivision.

It stayed and even succeeded in rewriting the record books. The 2005 Owls sunk to a new low, 0-11, the team’s first winless season since the 1986 squad finished with the exact same losing record.

If all that doesn’t quite describe the state of the team, how about this? Touchdowns were so rare that the band played the fight song after first downs.

Considering where the Owls were, their present tribulations seem somewhat encouraging. Golden has transformed the Owls from a team that took back-to-back, 62-0 losses in 2006 to a team that lost back-to-back games on the final play.

That’s a strange sense of progress, but it is progress nonetheless.

Actually, it’s similar to what Hoke experienced at Ball State.

In Hoke’s second season, a forgettable 2-9 campaign, the Cardinals were pounded by non-conference and conference foes alike. Purdue dominated them, 59-7, one week before Missouri shut them out, 48-0. Mid-American Conference opponents Toledo and Bowling Green trounced them, 52-14 and 51-13, respectively.

In Hoke’s third season, the Cardinals were still pummeled by their non-conference foes, but held strong against the MAC, finishing with a respectable 4-4 mark within the conference.

By his fourth season, Hoke had the Cardinals on the brink of success. They finished 5-7, but 5-3 within the MAC. They went into Ann Arbor and had No. 2 Michigan on the ropes, losing 34-26. They lost to Indiana, 24-23, the difference a missed PAT.

The Cardinals broke out for a 7-6 record and bowl game appearance the following year.

The Owls appear to be on the cusp of success. Take away a few mistakes, and the Owls are 4-3, maybe 5-2. But one can play the if game all day. Those miscues had consequences – another probable losing season.

Schiano and Hoke endured four of those before they tasted consistent victories. Golden is likely in his third. Given the agonizingly-close losses this year, maybe he’s actually ahead of the ball.

John Kopp can be reached at john.kopp@temple.edu.

Campus cafe in Speakman Hall brings a touch of jazz

Jazzman’s Café serves coffee with a creative concept in a quaint setting, perfect for students to gather throughout the day.

The café opened at the beginning of this semester, and it is conveniently located on the second floor of Speakman Hall. Jazzman’s arrives on Main Campus from Sodexo’s Retail Brand Group. The trendy coffeehouse offers a selection of coffees that come from sustainable sources.

“Jazzman’s uses Seattle’s Best Coffee,” said Mindy Segal, director of operations for Sodexo. “The coffee profile itself is a milder, more gentle blend than Starbucks.”

Jazzman’s sells an assortment of coffees including white chocolate mocha, cappuccino latte and creme brulée. The café also serves teas, hot chocolate, berry-flavored smoothies and pastries.

“With Sodexo running most food places on campus, with the exception of the food pad and food trucks, it’s a challenge to provide variation in food choices,” Segal said. “We have the ability to also change our menu on a daily basis.”

Students can enjoy a wide selection of foods and beverages, while listening to a special blend of eclectic jazz music at Jazzman’s.

Junior marketing major Marlene Waugh enjoys the atmosphere Jazzman’s brings to the Fox School of Business.

“Being that class and campus in general is crowded, so busy and fast paced, coming in here slows you down and puts you at ease,” Waugh said. “It kind of makes you chill I guess.”

Another perk offered by Jazzman’s is its listing of nutritional facts on its Web site. Students can check nutritional values for products sold at the café. Information available ranges from calories of caramel pecan cookies to peanut butter and jelly muffins.

“We have over 800 items we serve around campus, and it’s nice to see what you’re getting at the store and that’s something we’re trying to make available everywhere,” Segal said. “Jazzman’s follows the nutritional code of exactly what you see on the Web site.”

Joyce Badolato, a cashier at the café, enjoys the slower and quieter pace at Jazzman’s compared to the busyness at Starbucks, where she used to work.

“All of the food we get here is made fresh on a daily basis at the Student Center,” Badolato said. “Sales have picked up immensely since the beginning of the semester. I usually start out with 20 something sandwiches, and by the middle of the day, I usually have to call to get another batch
made.”

Aaron Dvorin said he prefers Jazzman’s more than the Lucky Cup Café, which used to be in the same area in Speakman Hall.

“It’s changed a lot since last year. It’s so much more open and welcoming for new students and people who have never been here,” the senior accounting major said.

Fan-Yun Lin, a junior marketing major, appreciates the prices at Jazzman’s.

“My latte [at Jazzman’s] is a lot cheaper than the one at Starbucks,” Lin said. “I wish it was open 24 hours.”

Jazzman’s Café accepts all meal plans, Diamond Dollars, cash and credit cards. Its hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kelly R. Fields can be reached at kellyfields@temple.edu.

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