The Temple News honored with Pacemaker Award

The Temple News was honored Saturday by the Associated Collegiate Press with the Online
Pacemaker Award.

The award is given to only a handful of college newspapers across the country for excellence
in online publications. The selection committee chooses the best college media Web
sites based on design, navigation, writing/editing, graphics and interactivity.

The Pacemaker was presented at the annual Associated Collegiate Press convention in
Kansas City, Mo., Saturday. The Temple News was a finalist in the Online Pacemaker competition
in 2007, as well.

The print edition of The Temple News was a finalist in the Newspaper Pacemaker competition
for the 2006-2007 school year and won the award for the 2005-2006 school year.

- Chris Stover

It happened…

I can’t believe it happened.

That’s the printable version of what I kept saying as I made my way from a house to City Hall a little after 9:58 p.m. last Wednesday.

The Philadelphia Phillies, the losingest team in the history of professional sports, won the World Series.

As I sit here a few days after reveling in the raucous mayhem of Center City last Wednesday and the unfathomably awesome parade last Friday, I still can’t believe it happened. I can’t get the smile off my face. I can’t shake this compulsive need to hug random strangers and joyously tackle people I know.

This all just feels too good. The wait to feel this kind of joy that only a major sports title can bring has been a long one — 25 years to be exact. Or, for most of us Philly sports fans at Temple, all our lives.

That’s why this title, in this town, with these fans, is so special.

We’ve been waiting a quarter century for it.

We’ve been saying “Wait ‘til next year” for more than 100 collective seasons.

We’ve been through Joe Carter’s home run, Scott Stevens’ hit, Ronde Barber’s interception, Ricky Manning Jr.’s three picks, Donovan McNabb’s vomit-laden rendition of the two-minute drill, a team from Tampa Bay winning the Stanley Cup, Allen Iverson skipping town and so many more depressing moments.

But without those moments, this World Series title wouldn’t even be as close to as special as it is.

For all the times we’ve asked “Why are we putting ourselves through this?”, for the all times we’ve lined up on the Ben Franklin Bridge ready to jump, last week was for that. Last week made it all worth it.

Now we know why we bombard Lehigh, Pa., for Eagles Training Camp and make the pilgrimage to Clearwater, Fla., for Phillies Spring Training, why we pack bars and tailgate in the dead of winter, why we taunt and fight with New Yorkers, Cowboys “fans” and everybody else. It all makes sense now.

It’s for this: the feeling of excitement, happiness, accomplishment and pride. It’s more than 1 million people flocking to South Broad Street or to Main Street in Manayunk or to Frankford and Cottman avenues in the Northeast on a Wednesday night to soak in an undisputed moment of bliss.

It’s a city of 1.5 million people and an area of more than 4 million people coming together as one. The only thing that counted was the Phillies and this city’s winning its first title in 25 years.

Everything else went away because of the Phillies. And no matter how much Commissioner Bud Selig ineptly tried to give the Tampa Bay Rays every chance in the world for the sake of television ratings, no matter how much Fox announcer Joe Buck blatantly rooted against the Phillies, they can’t take that title away from us.

The trophy is ours. It belongs to Philadelphia.

I still can’t believe it happened.

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

For Philadelphia, championship is a long time coming

All in good time, the saying goes.

Prior to the World Series win, The Temple News got nostalgic and pulled out issues chronicling other Phillies victories in 1980 and 1993, which you can see on Page P6.

Now, as students in Philadelphia, we’ve become immersed in Phillies Phever and can add this special issue to TTN archives for the Phils’ next win.

From the consistent fan base to those jumping on the bandwagon, it’s no secret that Philadelphia is excited. And rightfully so.

“Sports have a unique emotional component that resonates with people,” said sports and recreation management professor Aubrey Kent. “Many times, the attachment to a local team goes beyond a mere rooting interest, to become something that is embedded in a persons’ identity.”

So it’s safe to say Phillies fans have emotionally suffered for 28 years without a win in the Fall Classic. Philly sports fans as a whole haven’t had a major championship title since the 76ers in 1983. For many Temple students, this is the first major Philadelphia sports title they’ve seen.

Attending school in Philadelphia grants a sense of entitlement to adopt the hometown sports team as your own.

“The biggest benefit, though, is the intangible effect that we call ‘psychic income,’” said Kent’s colleague, professor Jeremy Jordan. “This is the feeling of goodwill generated in the community by banding together to support a common cause, and the pride and joy that is felt when the team is successful.”

Just as they did in 1980, 1983 and 1993, fans displayed their unity in the streets of Philadelphia, from Citizens Bank Park to City Hall and Main Campus to the Northeast.

“Rooting for the Phillies is different, in a way, than being a Phillies fan, the latter of which implies membership in a group that has great meaning for someone,” Jordan said. “The team then becomes an extension of ourselves, a source of vicarious achievement and pride.”

Philadelphians aren’t scared to show pride, either. When the Phillies reached the milestone of becoming the first professional sports franchise to reach 10,000 losses, both the team and the city took it in stride.
“I try to concentrate on wins,” manager Charlie Manuel said at the time. “[Ten thousand losses is] something we haven’t really talked about. Our players don’t talk about it. … I don’t really care about that, really. I’m serious.”

For many Philadelphians, it was a celebration long overdue. For others, it was the first of its kind. And for a small few, it was an excuse to destroy public and private property.

Robinson’s Luggage at the corner of Broad and Walnut streets in Center City is an example of such behavior, as overly excited fans broke through doors and looted the store.

“Personally, I think that while any damage or injury is regrettable, the reaction last night was comparatively tame,” Kent said. “Unfortunately, media coverage highlights the exceptions rather than the majority of people who celebrated responsibly.

“The negative activity that does occur, however, is hurtful not only to those involved, but plays into a negative stereotype of the city that is unfortunate for all.”

On the other hand, Philadelphia can reap positive benefits from the win, as the city has garnered national attention. Once labeled as fat and ugly, Philadelphia has been given a helping hand from the Phillies organization.

“The sports team can become part of the city’s brand and, depending on the sport and the team’s level of success, can also provide great exposure and recognition for a city if it is televised widely by being involved in something like the World Series,” Jordan said.

An energy has been brought to the city that’s been absent for too long. As a city, Philadelphians were able to unite for the 2008 postseason.

“The Phillies seem like a likable bunch of personalities and, therefore, are easy to root for,” Jordan said, “as is the city of Philadelphia, which, from a sport perspective, has been so long suffering. For the rest of the country, much like recently with the Red Sox and White Sox, people seem to like seeing loyal and deserving fans rewarded.”

It’s a reward that many Philadelphia fans hope will not take another 28 years to come again.

All in good time, the saying goes.

Chris Stover can be reached at stover@temple.edu.

Another late-game blunder

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Same story, different ending.

The football team plays well. So well that everyone is ready to anoint the expected win as “the biggest in program history” or “the Owls’ coming out party” during the midst of the game.

But then, things suddenly take a turn for the worse.

Whether it’s because of dropped passes and the inability to stop the running game, a Hail Mary completion, a missing quarterback or a fumble with less than a minute to go, the Owls always seem to come up with a different kind of painful loss every week.

This is now a team that’s lost three times on the final play of the game, and excluding the Penn State defeat, has been beaten by an average of just five points per game this year.

And perhaps, last Saturday’s blown 20-point fourth-quarter lead, “Kneel down gate” combination was the worst of them all.

“We dropped a touchdown, fumbled a football, missed an extra [and] fumbled on the 10-yard line in the second quarter,” coach Al Golden said. “That’s the difference in the game.”

The key difference, though, was Golden’s decision to hand the ball off to freshman running back Kee-ayre Griffin, one that has since been questioned by just about everybody.

Yet, the Owls’ third-year coach didn’t second-guess his decision.

“That’s what running backs do, running backs carry the ball,” he said. “I don’t question that. I think you’ve got to give it to your running backs.”

Griffin, a converted cornerback who started practicing in the backfield less than a month ago, did stand up and take blame for the loss.

“Absolutely, I fumbled,” he said. “I know football is not an odd thing, but you’ve got to have some accountability for something. And I take that fumble very hard.”

Griffin’s fumble, which was scooped up by Navy junior linebacker Clint Sovie and returned for a 42-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left on the clock, was the latest in a long line of crushing Owl defeats.
And redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele said it all boils down to his team’s inability to close out games.

“It’s really frustrating that we really didn’t play a complete game,” he said. “And that hurts inside because that’s what we’ve been trying to do, and that’s what coach Golden and his staff have been trying to instill in us, [to] play a complete game in all three phases of the ball.”

Not putting it all together has undoubtedly cost the Owls, as they sit at 3-6 overall and 2-3 in Mid-American Conference play. But in reality, they should only have one or two losses this season.

Those close calls continue to stun Golden, whose squad dropped yet another tight contest. This time around, his team found a way to lose a game where it was leading 27-7 with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

“In 21 years of college football, I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in losing four games like that,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking, but we’ll get them back.”

The Owls’ opportunities to get these losses back are running slim, as there are just three games remaining in the season.

Still, they enter this week in the race for the top spot in MAC East play and with the knowledge they can hang with any team in the conference.

“I’m excited about the way [the players] are competing,” Golden said. “I think they’re starting to enjoy the fight. I think they’re starting to enjoy the give-and-take. And when you start from where we started at such a depressed state…I’m pleased.”

“We’re a fighting team, and we’re going to keep fighting,” Griffin added.

That fight will be the final one for seniors like DiMichele and wide receivers Bruce Francis and Travis Shelton, who return to action Nov. 12 against Kent State.

So there’s nothing they can do, but enjoy these final games in Cherry and White and move on to next week.

“I think our countdown for seniors is 24 days,” DiMichele said. “We’re just going to keep plugging. There’s really nothing else to say.”

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.

Democrats: a time for change

ELIZABETH HANSON
President, Temple College Democrats

It was just over 20 months ago that Sen. Barack Obama announced his once considered long-shot candidacy for the White House. And yet, it is difficult to wrap my head around the fact that this day is finally here. Today, across the country, in small towns and large cities alike, Americans will cast their votes for who will lead our great nation in increasingly uncertain times.

Many of us Temple students were in elementary school or junior high when President George W. Bush first took office. In the past eight years, we have watched our government ignore the crises occurring in our environment, our schools and our healthcare system, choosing instead to send our friends and family members overseas to fight a war many of us don’t believe in, and saddle our generation with unprecedented debt. Most recently, we have seen our economy falter, the availability of student loans decrease and our job prospects disappear. I know that I, along with many other members of America’s youth, have spent most of my formative years feeling ignored and unrepresented by the current administration.

But today, on the ballot, we will finally be presented with a choice. We have the option to select Sen. John McCain, who has self-admittedly voted with this failed administration 90 percent of the time, or to select Obama, a man who is the embodiment of the American Dream, and knows that this country deserves better than the past eight years. So today is our day, as America’s youth, to stand up and vote for Obama, because it is our futures that are at stake.

An Obama-Biden administration will mean amazing things for students. Whether it’s an affordable college education, job creation, healthcare coverage or renewable energy, we know that with Obama, we will have the White House fighting on our side.

Obama knows that it is essential for America to invest in its students in order to secure the future of our nation. He will create the America Opportunity Tax Credit, which will provide students with $4,000 to finance their college educations, in return for completing 100 hours of public service a year. That’s $4,000 for you to ensure that you will be able to cross that stage after all your hard work, and 100 hours of service to further a cause you believe in.

And once your cross that stage? Obama will still be looking out for you. He will ensure you remain covered on your parents’ healthcare plan until you’re 25. This policy will lower the healthcare costs for new graduates entering the workforce. Not to mention that it will be a workforce supported by Obama, who will invest $5 million in green collar jobs. These jobs, part of Obama’s New Energy for America Plan, will put us on the track to energy independence and create and implement the technology to end our climate crisis to help save our planet.

Throughout this campaign, Obama has repeatedly said that the youth of America inspire him. We give him the most hope for the future of this nation. He has put a great deal of faith in us, and now it is time for us to put our faith in him. The naysayers and the pundits often repeat that students are “apathetic” and that we cannot be counted on to vote. I say they are wrong. But it is up to each and every one of you to prove it. In the words of our very own candidate, “We are the one’s we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” So go. Vote for Obama. And be the change.

Elizabeth Hanson is the president of Temple College Democrats.

PhilaLive offers open mic night

From singing and rapping to painting and spoken word, PhilaLive offers more than the stereotypical “Thirsty Thursday” party scene.

PhilaLive is an event that features several genres of art, and it is conducted in a manner suited to its name. Performances maintain an upbeat energy for audience members that keep them engaged and involved.

The program begins with musical selections from the house band Dave Watson and the Bad Boyz, a local R&B band. Individuals from the group have toured with artists such as Keyshia Cole, John Legend and Chrisette Michele.

PhilaLive is not the ordinary open mic night. Live music, poetry and even painting are performed by local artists.

Individuals come out to display their talents on stage as poets, rappers and singers, while a painter creates an original piece of art to sale.

“[It’s] a space where artists [have] opportunities to come perform [and] lay their souls on stage,” said Ariana Santiago, co-creator of PhilaLive.

Santiago has hosted and organized live shows in her hometown of Atlanta for the past five years. She established PhilaLive as a way to bring those experiences to North Philadelphia.

“People are passionate about art, especially in Philadelphia,” the junior BTMM major said. “If we can continue to encourage that passion or provide spaces for that passion, I think it will help the community as a whole.”

Santiago met with Dominique Wilkins, CEO of the Konnoisseur Group, a Philadelphia-based event and marketing management company.

After exchanging ideas, the two began laying the groundwork for PhilaLive in December 2007. The first show was held in February.

Santiago’s production company, Liveloud Productions, and the Konnoisseur Group fund PhilaLive, since they do not have sponsors. There is a $7 cover charge for the event.

PhilaLive welcomes anyone interested in the arts. The interactive and high-energy event has seen performers and audience members from Temple, West Chester University, LaSalle University, Drexel University, the Community College of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. People ranging in age from 14 to 40 attend PhilaLive.

“It has no set demographic,” Santiago said.

When hosting the program, Santiago is known for conversing with the audience to keep the tempo alive. She sometimes jokes about the trials and tribulations of being a college student.

“Once I hit that stage, there’s no telling what’s going to come out of my mouth. My intention is to get you [feeling] alive . . . and get you ready for the next artist, and put them on stage to an audience that’s excited about hearing them,” Santiago said. “Plus, I just like to talk to the audience.”

Local poets perform pieces on topics like love, growing up and even rape. Other open mic performers pour their souls out as singers and rappers.

Amanda Diva, a hip-hop poet, was recently featured as PhilaLive’s artist of the evening. She was a video jockey on MTV2. She performed on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam and worked for SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

Swift Technique, a local jazz and funk group, played at PhilaLive. Visual poet Charles Jean-Pierre from Washington, D.C., served as the painter during a live art performance.

“We book all of the featured artists in advance. The open mic is just open,” Santiago said. “The list goes up at 8 p.m., and people come out [to perform] because they know it’s a welcomed space where they can come and spit whatever their heart desires.”

Santiago gets the word out about PhilaLive through fliers, promotions, e-mail blasts, text messaging and Facebook.

“We are not biased to any specific form or style of advertising,” Santiago said.

PhilaLive’s schedule is reflective of the academic calendar since a majority of its patrons are college students. The fall season runs until Dec. 18, and the spring season begins in February 2009. The event is held Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Patterson’s Palace restaurant, which is located at 1621 Cecil B. Moore Ave.

“We saw a need in Temple’s nightlife to have something artistically cultural and artistically entertaining, not just parties,” Santiago said. “[It’s] your Thursday night alternative.”

Shari DaCosta can be reached at shari.dacosta@temple.edu.

Class allows an insider’s view of the political process

Between the gaffes, the debates and the highly energized rallies from the past year, this election season has been captivating, especially to young voters.

Students do not have to be political science majors or be enrolled in political science courses to be passionate about politics.

The students in Michael Hagen’s courses, Seminar in Campaign Politics and Cooperative Education Project, are keeping track of campaigns, and some students are participating in them.

Kevin Belmont, a senior political science major, is an intern for Pennsylvania’s GOP main office in Philadelphia. Belmont said the experiential learning course has played a major role in his understanding of campaigns and career goals.

“This is a great course for anybody who wants to be involved in political campaigns and wants to clarify where they want to be in terms of a career in politics,” Belmont said. “It helped me decide to get a graduate degree in public policy or political science.”

Elizabeth Hanson, a junior political science major and president of the Temple College Democrats, said she was impressed by the professor’s emphasis on learning through experience.

“Learning from a textbook is great, but it’s a really incredible experience when you are actually immersed in the situation,” Hanson said. “[Experimental learning] definitely prepares you once you graduate.”

Seminar in Campaign Politics and Cooperative Education Project are taken simultaneously for six credits. The courses aim to familiarize students with the world of campaigning through the combination of traditional academic learning and experiential learning with internships, which are an essential part of the course.

“The purpose of this course is to expose students to the nuts and bolts of campaigning, both from the point of view of academics and from the point of view of people who are engaged in such things,” Hagen said. “The students are having a real-world experience that gives them insight into the way things work, an insight they couldn’t get any other way.”

This is Hagen’s first time teaching the course. It was previously taught by political science professor Robin Kolodny, who is currently on a Fulbright Scholarship in England.

Hagen said it has not been difficult teaching the experiential learning courses because it was such a pleasure engaging in discussions with the students about campaign strategies and internship experiences.

The internships allow students to not only network with public officials and other students, but also allow them to become familiar with the U.S. political system.

Students maintain weekly journals, in which they record daily tasks completed and comment on their roles at their assigned campaign offices.

Hagen said he tried to steer students away from focusing exclusively on presidential campaigns.

“Presidential campaigns are so big and so sprawling and involve so many other people and interns that you can get lost in the shuffle,” Hagen said.

He said getting involved in a state legislative or congressional campaign allows interns to be closer to the action and decision-making, and interns are more likely to meet the candidates.

Not all of the students are interning with politicians’ campaigns. Hagen said a couple of students are involved in campaigns organized by interest groups. One student worked for the Committee of Seventy, an election reform organization located in Philadelphia.

No matter where they interned, students will have to answer an important question while enrolled in the courses.

“One of the fundamental questions of this class is if elections are won and lost by their campaigns, or [are they] won and lost by factors already in place long before the campaign begins?” Hagen said.

Hagen said the answer depends on the number of Democratic and Republican voters, the condition of the economy and a wide range of other factors. Once the results of Nov. 4 are available, the students in this course will be able to determine why their campaigns won or lost.

Joshua Fernandez can be reached at josh.fernandez@temple.edu.

Students in the midst of battleground

Though Temple is in the heart of a highly Democratic area, Pennsylvania as a whole is a heavily courted battleground state that both candidates want on their side when this election ends.

A recent poll by CBS News, UWIRE and the Chronicle of Higher Education looked at a representative sample of college students from Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina and Colorado. Temple was polled as the representative school for Pennsylvania.

Students in the battleground states have much in common. About half of the students polled said they are paying a lot of attention to the election. Pennsylvania ranked the lowest with 47 percent of students reporting they are paying attention, while Colorado ranked the highest with 58 percent.

Six in 10 participants favor Sen. Barack Obama as their candidate of choice. Of Temple students polled, 80.6 percent of said the Obama/Biden ticket is their choice, while 15.6 percent said they prefer the McCain/Palin ticket.

The effort to get students registered to vote has paid off. The poll of Temple students showed that 93 percent were registered, and about half of the registered students reported this will be the first time they are casting a ballot.

Even though the streets of campus has been dotted with clipboard-wielding volunteers urging students to register, only half of students reported being contacted by a campaign directly urging them to register.

Even though more than 90 percent of Temple students surveyed are registered to vote, only 85 percent of those registered said they will definitely be voting. Two percent of registered voters reported they will probably or definitely not vote today.

A 65.4 percent majority of Temple students polled reported that their parents will be voting for the same candidate, and 6.1 percent, said their parents will not be voting at all this election season.

In terms of whether or not students feel they can relate to a candidate, 75.1 percent of students said they can relate to Obama, while only 14.2 percent of students polled reported being able to relate to McCain.

The top hot topics for Temple students are the cost of higher education and the war in Iraq.

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

Smiles all around in preparation for playoffs

Sitting near the top of the field hockey team’s checklist for 2008 was a win against Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 1.

Last season, the Owls were bounced from the Atlantic Ten Conference Tournament by the Hawks 3-2, and as rivalries typically go, emotions were high.

Saturday, the Cherry and White brought their sticks and pencils to scribble out the Hawks, 2-1, on Senior Day.

“It was a great feeling to know that we were able to somewhat avenge last year’s loss,” coach Amanda Janney said. “That was a huge disappointment for us, and we’ve always gone back and forth with St. Joe’s, and they give us a little bit more trouble than I think they should.”

Prior to the game, seniors Liz Watto, Erin Hanshue, Jamie Adams and Mary Catherine Kinneman were honored for four years of memories.

“It was awesome,” goalkeeper Hanshue said. “[Senior Day is] the one game of your whole career that you’re probably going to remember most.”

Utilizing the energy of family and friends in attendance, forward Watto cracked a pair of goose eggs at the 13:05 mark in the first half. Her goal came on a rocket shot by junior midfielder Kristen Wanner, and it was deflected high and into the back of the net.

“It felt great,” Watto said. “I’ve been waiting five years for Senior Day, so it was extra nice to score a goal.”

The game remained close throughout the first half with each team trading pressure. Bodies were flying, sticks were loose and play was physical. Janney voiced her frustration with the Hawks’ style of play.

“I wish some of their girls could control their bodies a little bit more because I think they are out of control, and they are fouling us,” she said. “Our girls do a good job not to push and foul.”
In the second half, the Owls nearly lost their lead.

Hawks’ senior forward Marisa Pizzi hit sophomore forward Jen Wrublesky with a pass that left a one-on-one with Hanshue. The result was a game-making dive and stop that preserved a 1-0 cushion.

“I was thinking, ‘Oh crap,’” Hanshue said. “I was trying to fake her out, and hopefully she would go to my right side because that’s my strongest side. If she would have passed the ball right I knew I had a better shot at getting it.”

St. Joe’s had a three-on-one breakaway just a couple minutes later but squandered the opportunity amidst the moans and groans of the Hawks’ fans in the crowd.

With 5:15 left in regulation, junior forward Mandi Ruth raked home her sixth goal of the season, giving the Owls room to breathe.

A goal by Hawks’ sophomore forward Hannah Rogers would be a comeback effort too late in the making.
The win put the Owls at 8-11, but more importantly, 4-2 in the A-10, good enough to leapfrog the Hawks, who are 11-8 and 3-3.

“It’s really great to get this momentum,” Janney said. “We kind of said that before the game that we really needed a win.”

Temple will be the No. 3 seed to St. Joe’s No. 4 status in this weekend’s A-10 Tournament at Geasey Field. On Friday at 11 a.m., the Owls will take on No. 2 Richmond, a team seniors Hanshue, Watto, Adams and Kinneman have never beaten.

In the 2006 A-10 semifinals, the Spiders defied the Owls’ title bid, 2-1. The team has lost in the A-10 semifinals each of the last four years. But this year, the team has a different mindset.

“It’s a huge deal, and yeah — we do think this is the year,” Hanshue said. “Especially with the Phillies winning, the Philly curse is broken, so it’s our turn.”

Home turf advantage could propel the Owls to their first conference championship since 1994. And it would be the ultimate check mark for the seniors who have experienced their share of disappointing Novembers.

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

Alumna has big dreams

Kristen Celins stands out in a crowd – a crowd of 7,000 to be exact.

Celins graduated from Temple in May 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting, telecommunications and mass media. She will begin working as a page for NBC Universal in New York City in a few weeks.

Out of the 7,000 who applied, only 65 to 80 people were offered the prestigious position.

The NBC Universal Page Program is a primary entry level position for college graduates who are interested in broadcast careers. The page program curriculum has four components: build, imagine, solve and lead. The year-long learning and development program increases marketability for pages seeking permanent placement at NBC Universal.

“I knew it was exactly what I needed to boost my career after college,” Celins said.

According to NBC’s Page Program Web site, pages conduct tours for the public and work in different departments with the company. Many pages are assigned to work on different NBC shows like Saturday Night Live and Late Night With Conan O’Brien.

Celins heard about the program when she began interning at NBC10 in Philadelphia last summer. She formed a close relationship with Lynn Berry, a reporter for All That and More. Celins contacted Berry at the end of her senior year to inquire about the page program. Berry started at NBC as a page, and she encouraged Celins to apply.

It was her persistence that eventually paid off.

“I waited, asked, waited, asked,” Celins said.

While Celins awaited a response, she was recruited to work as an account executive in the sales department at Wired 96.5 radio station. Soon after she began working at Wired 96.5, Celins was offered the page position in July.

“I went for my first interview and was told that I would find out in six weeks whether or not I made it to the second round,” Celins said. “I was so happy to find that I had an e-mail as soon as I got home inviting me to come for the second and final round table interview.”

She was interviewed again in September. The process included an eight-person interview and a two-minute presentation about herself.

“I was nervous, but I acted completely myself,” Celins said. “I played on my humor and personality to answer their questions and do my presentation, and apparently it worked.”

Celins has not received her official start date because the program runs on a rolling admissions cycle. When one page leaves the program, another begins.

Pages work approximately 50 hours a week, and they are paid $10 an hour.

The hours are long, but the New York Times reports that 70 percent of the people who finish the page program are offered a job with the company.

“I am looking forward to experiencing all of the departments of NBC and being hands-on with everything that goes on there – learning the ropes and getting guidance from some of the most talented people in this industry,” Celins said.

Celins is not sure what kind of job she would like to get after the program, but she has some ideas.
“I would love to get involved in production on a sitcom or SNL,” she said. “That’s the beauty of the page program. Aside from giving tours, I can take the time to work in different areas and really get a feel for exactly what I want to do.”

During her undergraduate years at Temple, Celins was the president of the Future Broadcast Pioneers organization. She also participated in Temple Update and interned at several different places, including NFL Films.

Celins enjoyed her college experience at Temple and said she thanks all the professors and faculty members who contributed to her success.

“I credit Temple for every opportunity that has been open for me,” Celins said. “And I credit myself for going out and getting it.”

Jessica Lawlor can be reached at jessica.lawlor@temple.edu.

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