Dayton ends season in semis

The No. 1 seed and Atlantic Ten Conference champion Dayton Flyers sent the volleyball team home in four games.

“I expected to get to the semifinals [of the Atlantic Ten Tournament],” volleyball coach Bob Bertucci said. “The girls worked hard the last month of the season and committed to improving to getting better. We got everybody playing well enough to win. We overachieved in a sense.”

Bertucci knew all year that he had an overachieving team. He also knew that when he saw top-seeded Dayton next on his plate in the A-10 Tournament that he needed a new game plan. So, he sent out a completely different starting lineup from the one the Flyers saw earlier in the season by moving defensive specialists to outside hitters and his outside hitters to the back. Bertucci caught No. 24 Dayton off guard but only for the first game. The Flyers ended the Owls’ season 3 games to 1 game by scores of 16-25, 25-23, 25-14 and 25-16.

“We came out there and absolutely pounded them in the first game,” Bertucci said. “We wanted to come out with something they haven’t seen before, but they did a great job of making adjustments.”

After a close match the night before with George Washington, who the Owls (14-12 overall, 9-6 A-10) squeaked by in five games, Dayton (29-3 overall, 14-1 A-10) showed why it was the best team in the tournament. Dayton’s junior outside hitters Lindsay Fletemier and Becky Novacek both notched 17 kills and found open holes that Temple thought it had covered.

After dominating the first set, the Flyers made the necessary changes, while the Owls went back to their routine lineup. The switch back was not enough, as the eventual A-10 Champions finished what they started. Senior outside hitter Yun Yi Zhang had 30 kills to lead all players to end her Temple career with authority.

“I don’t think I would have changed anything,” said Bertucci, who has spend 14 years as coach at Temple. “You find things you could have done better, but I’d say all and all every change we made there ended in a positive, and I couldn’t be prouder of this group.”

The Owls are already looking ahead to next season, as Bertucci announced that Temple has signed Emily Frazier to help fill the void in the middle left by Zhang and senior setter Jackie Morrison. Zhang was named first-team all-conference, while Morrison was named to the second team.

“Yi is almost impossible to replace, but we’ll find a way,” Bertucci said. “As for Jackie, ask me a year ago if I think someone could do what she did, and I’d say maybe. Now, I don’t know what we’re going to do without her. She did things on the court this year that amazed me.”

In an interview with Morrison earlier in the season, she said she expects players like sophomore outside hitter/setter Elizabeth Prang and junior middleback Jessica Antosz to step up and fill the leadership void and lead a new set of Owls back to the A-10 Tournament again next year.

When asked if Bertucci would take time off or go right into next season’s plans, Morrison responded with a chuckle: “You’re going to get me in trouble asking questions like that.”

Christian Audesirk can be reached at christian.audesirk@temple.edu.

Hartford snaps winning streak

The women’s basketball team opened the season 5-0 but heads to Rutgers tommorrow after a loss.

The women’s basketball team looked like two completely different squads during Thanksgiving break, as the Owls defeated the Eastern Michigan Eagles soundly before struggling against the Hartford Hawks.

EASTERN MICHIGAN
The Owls dominated from behind the arc Tuesday, sinking seven of their 10 shots from 3-point land.
Temple came out of the gate with authority and outscored the Eagles 10-1 in the opening 6 minutes 4 seconds. By the time the opening 20 minutes had passed, the Owls seized a commanding 32-17 lead. It didn’t get much better for Eastern Michigan, as the Owls continued their hot shooting by going on a 12-2 run in the opening minutes of the second half. Ultimately, the Owls were never in real danger of losing and finished with a 64-46 victory.

Junior guard Shaqwedia Wallace led the way for the Cherry and White, scoring 13 points while dishing out six assists. Wallace didn’t do it all herself, however, as four Owls scored in double digits.

Senior forward Jasmine Stone provided a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points and falling one rebound short of a double-double. The double-double is something Temple coach Tonya Cardoza has set as a benchmark for Stone.

“Coach has been stressing to me that I should be getting a double-double,” Stone said. “That’s my biggest thing. I’m all about rebounding.”

Senior point guard LaKeisha Eaddy’s assist in the second half gave her 399 for her career, good for second on Temple’s all-time list.

Junior guard Cassie Schrock led the way for the Eagles with 15 points and nine rebounds.

HARTFORD
After moving to 5-0 with the victory against Eastern Michigan, the Owls traveled to Connecticut to play the Hartford Hawks. The Hawks, less than two weeks after defeating No. 23 Louisville, proved to be too much for the Owls and beat Temple, 65-54.

The Cherry and White were outmanned in the beginning and trailed by as many as 14 points in the opening half. The deficit grew as large as 20 points in the second half before the Owls fought back. Temple scored seven straight points from the free-throw line to cut the Hartford lead to 10 points.

Racing against the clock, the Owls started to foul Hartford and hoped the Hawks would prove inept at sinking shots at the charity stripe. Unfortunately, the Hawks didn’t miss enough shots, as junior guard Jackie Smith made four straight free throws to put her team up 14 points. A late 3-pointer by Wallace cut the lead to 11 points, but it would never get closer than that.

Wallace led the way yet again for the Owls, scoring 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Stone continued her strong play, scoring 11 points while grabbing 13 rebounds to give her a double-double, her first of the season.

Junior guard Mary Silva came off the bench for the Hawks and scored a game-high 20 points. Smith was perfect at the free-throw line, scoring all eight of her points there.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Owls (5-1) travel to New Brunswick, N.J., tomorrow to play Rutgers (4-3). The Scarlet Knights recently played in the Paradise Jam Tournament, where they beat Southern California and Mississippi State before losing to Texas. Senior guard Brittany Ray leads Rutgers with 15 points per game.

Kyle Gauss can be reached at kylegauss@temple.edu.

Success at South Carolina

After spending eight seasons at Temple with the women’s basketball team, coach Dawn Staley left for the South Carolina Gamecocks last year. She recruited 2009’s No. 4 class.

Dawn Staley was settled.

It was just after the conclusion of the 2007-2008 women’s basketball season, a season in which Staley led the Owls to a 21-13 record and another NCAA Tournament appearance. Staley, who just signed a six-year contract extension the year before, was preparing for another season of improving her legacy on North Broad Street.

But things changed as fast as one of Staley’s passes during her playing days.

“It all kind of came into play from a personal standpoint and a professional standpoint. My mother is from South Carolina. All of my brothers and sisters still live here,” Staley said.

“From a personal standpoint, my mother was ill three years ago. I felt like I’d have a little more help if I brought her down here to South Carolina. I wasn’t looking for a job. South Carolina wasn’t on my radar. I just signed a contract a year before, so I wasn’t looking. I was stable. I was comfortable.

“[But] it was the right challenge for me taking the [South Carolina] job,” she added.

Staley signed up to become the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball coach on May 10, 2008.

“There’s a huge difference, about 1.4 million people different. It’s more laid back. There aren’t a lot of options [of things to do],” Staley said about the differences between South Carolina and Philadelphia.
In 2000, Staley came to Temple and rebuilt a program that went 45-93 during Kristen Foley’s five years as coach. Staley said it was a decision she’s glad she accepted.

“I learned the coaching world. I learned how to deal with people,” she said. “I was 29 when I took the job, and you’re asking me to represent and set an example of 18- to 22-year-olds on a daily basis. It’s the same thing that I tell young people. Don’t be afraid because you’re uncomfortable.”

Staley wasn’t afraid to come in and make her presence felt in practice and on the sideline. Her fiery attitude earned her comparisons to former Temple men’s basketball coach and Hall of Famer John Chaney.

The comparison went beyond philosophy and demeanor. Like Chaney, Staley put a winning product on the floor.

She had an immediate impact in her first season, as Temple finished with a 19-11 record and earned a bid to the National Invitational Tournament. Seven seasons later, Staley put together an impressive legacy. She became the all-time women’s basketball wins leader at Temple with a 172-80 record. In those eight seasons, Staley led the Owls to six NCAA Tournaments, four Atlantic Ten titles and five Big 5 crowns while earning A-10 Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2005.

In addition, Staley coached two players who were drafted into the WNBA: Candice Dupree (sixth pick overall in 2006 to the Chicago Sky) and Kamesha Hairston (12th pick overall in 2007 to the Connecticut Sun).

“I tried to put a product on the floor that people could be proud of,” Staley said. “From coaching young people, you try to instill discipline where they can be successful no matter what they do in life. That’s what I had my eye on.

“The most important thing is graduating kids, giving them a different outlook on life and providing them with things that they can use to be successful when they leave our program,” she added. “That’s what really counts.”

A main ingredient for Staley’s success on the bench was her own impressive playing career. Her success came early, as she was named USA Today’s National High School Player of the Year in 1988 as a senior at Dobbins Tech in Philadelphia. Her career continued at the University of Virginia, where she and the Cavaliers reached the NCAA Final Four three times. The only player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to record more than 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 700 assists and 400 steals, Staley was a two-time National Player of the Year and thee-time All-American selection.

After college, Staley won three Olympic Gold Medals and played in the WNBA from 1999-2006.

“Every time you play at a high level you learn how to win. I think it just set the stage for me in the coaching world,” Staley said.

Now Staley is trying to set the stage to put South Carolina into contention in the Southeastern Conference. In her first season, the Gamecocks went 10-18 (2-11 SEC), something Staley expected.

“It was a difficult season,” she said. “I knew there was a big challenge ahead of me. I thought our players throughout the entire season played hard. Once we establish that we’re hard workers, we can bring in some talent to add to that.

“The SEC is a challenge every single night,” she added. “[In] the SEC, you can try all you want to out-work somebody, but you get out-talented every single time. Talent wins in the SEC. You have to keep up with the Joneses in the SEC. Every team has an All-American in their recruiting class every single year.”

Talent is on the way, as Staley welcomes the No. 4-ranked recruiting class led by Kelsey Bone, Ieasia Walker and Ashley Bruner. Like Staley’s teams at Temple, she promises that the Gamecocks will be competitive for all 40 minutes.

“I know we’re going to work hard,” Staley said. “I know we’ll be in a position to win more basketball games than we did last year. We got to first get into the middle of the pack, and then we can talk about winning championships.”

While winning was a familiar trend for Staley at Virginia, it was her friendship with her replacement at Temple – coach Tonya Cardoza – that she values just as much.

“We were the best of friends when we were at Virginia,” Staley said. “We had the same kind of upbringing. We looked a little different than the normal UVA student. Our bank accounts were a little different than the normal UVA student. Our struggle was the same. On the basketball court, I don’t think too many people are as athletic as Tonya. She was fun to play with. We had a wonderful time.”

Like Staley, Cardoza enjoyed a successful first season at Temple. The Owls finished 21-10 and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before losing to Florida in the first round.

“For her to be able to go to Temple and get her first coaching job, that’s my first coaching job, and for her to be successful her first year, I think it’s all great,” Staley said. “She’s had a very successful first year. I wasn’t surprised she had success as a basketball team. She had talent there that was going to play hard for her every night.”

Early indication is that all parties are winners in Staley’s departure. After 14 years with University of Connecticut Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma as an assistant, Cardoza was rewarded with a head coaching job. And Temple continues to win basketball games as, the Owls stand at 5-1 to begin this season.

Staley was able to secure her family issues and avoid any distractions as she continues to do what she loves.

“I don’t do much,” Staley said. “I’m all about basketball and assuring that the team that we put on the floor is a good product and something that people can be proud of and support.”

Pete Dorchak can be reached at pdorchak@temple.edu.

Dear Al Golden

Although the football team lost to Ohio Friday, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the Owls are headed to a bowl game. That said, I think it’s time to get something out in the open that has been eating away at me for most of the season.

I am sorry I wrote off Temple at the beginning of the season.

I said you and your team could “forget about playing in a bowl game this year after losing the season opener to Villanova,” in my debut column in The Temple News. Boy, was I wrong.

I have been a sports reporter for four years, and I would have to say calling your season dead after one game might have been one of the dumbest decisions I have made in my career thus far.

I completely disregarded the fact that Villanova was a non-conference team and that there were still 11 games left. I said one loss “puts a black mark on the entire season,” but looking back, I do not actually remember a whole lot about that game.

That loss was admittedly not as big a deal as I made it out to be. The players recovered from it, as they won nine straight games. I have to give those guys a lot of credit. They did a lot more than just recover from a 0-2 start. They are now in position to go to a bowl game, and for the first time in nearly 20 years, Temple football is relevant, which is a huge deal.

I came into the season expecting, at the most, six wins and no bowl game appearance. I was riding the culture of cynicism and apathy toward the team that has plagued the university for so long. It was a bad call on my part not to give your team a chance. I committed one of the cardinal sins of journalism – I lacked objectivity. I came into the season expecting it to be a failure before a snap was even played.
It wasn’t until about the Army game that I started to realize the team was legitimately good. After the comeback win in Annapolis, Md., against Navy, I was finally convinced your team was bowl material.

After that, I figured I might have to eventually submit a mea culpa.

I guess I should also extend my apologies to the players as well, for selling them short at the start of the season.

I reluctantly include redshirt junior quarterback Vaughn Charlton in this group. I have criticized him to the point where I am making jokes about him in non-football related stories at The Temple News. But I will say this about him: He is a bad quarterback, and I will stand by that assessment until the day I die, but he did just enough to contribute – even as a backup – during the team’s nine-game winning streak, and he should get some props for that.

The whole team showed more talent, resilience and character than I ever could have expected from that squad, and that includes freshman running back Bernard Pierce, redshirt sophomore quarterback Chester Stewart, the entire defense and all the other role players who make up the roster. Those seniors have endured whole years of ridicule from folks like myself – but now they will leave Temple to cheers rather than jeers.

While it is not my job to support you or your players, you guys have earned my respect.

You taught me a lesson this season: Never, ever sell a team short, no matter what happened the season before, no matter what happened the previous 20 seasons. Every team gets a clean slate heading into a new season. I let years of futility cloud my judgment, which led me to make the incredibly stupid decision of calling your season dead after one game. I thought at the time that it was a safe bet, but here I am, eating my words.

Al Golden, I apologize for writing off you and your team. I was wrong.

Sincerely,

Brian Dzenis
The Temple News

P.S. If, by chance, that first column was in any way, shape or form used to motivate your team, you’re welcome.

Ohio loss is not the end of the line

The football team could be invited to one of four bowl games since the Owls’ bowl win in 1979.

EAGLEBANK
Date: Dec. 29
Location: RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Conferences: Conference USA vs. Army or Mid-American Conference (Should Army upset Navy Dec. 12, the Black Knights will qualify for the EagleBank Bowl)
2008 result: The inaugural edition of the EagleBank Bowl went to Wake Forest, as the Demon Deacons defeated the Navy Midshipmen, 29-19. Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner, the game’s Most Valuable Player, set a NCAA record for completion percentage in a bowl game when he completed all 11 attempts.

INTERNATIONAL
Date: Jan. 2
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto
Time: Noon
Conferences: Big East Conference vs. MAC
2009 result: The University of Connecticut Huskies overcame a 20-17 halftime deficit to beat the Buffalo Bulls, 38-20, on Jan. 3, 2009. Huskies running back Donald Brown, who was drafted by the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts in June, racked up 264 yards and one touchdown en route to being named the game’s MVP. The game attracted an audience of 40,184 people – the highest in the International Bowl’s three-year history.

GMAC
Date: Jan. 6
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
Time: 7 p.m.
Conferences: Atlantic Coast Conference vs. MAC
2009 result: Tulsa won its second consecutive GMAC Bowl with a 45-13 victory against No. 23 Ball State. Tarrion Adams rushed for 207 yards and three touchdowns, as the Golden Hurricane finished with a school-record 11 victories. Adams became Tulsa’s career rushing leader, as the Golden Hurricane produced 439 yards rushing and 632 yards overall in the contest. Tulsa defeated Bowling Green the year before, 63-7.

LITTLE CAESARS (previously the Motor City Bowl)
Date: Dec. 26
Location: Ford Field, Detroit
Time: 1 p.m.
Conferences: Big Ten Conference vs. MAC Champ
2008 result: The Florida Atlantic Owls defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas, 24–21. Owls quarterback Rusty Smith was named game MVP after he threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

Pete Dorchak can be reached at pdorchak@temple.edu.

Shots falling shy of the basket

The men’s basketball team has scored fewer than 50 points in its two losses this season. The Owls shot 28.1 percent in Saturday’s loss to Saint John’s.

A team can’t win if it doesn’t score, and that has been the problem for the men’s basketball team in its two losses this year.

In the most recent loss, a 55-48 defeat by Saint John’s in the finale of the Philly Hoop Group Classic Saturday, the Owls shot 28.1 percent from the field, 3-of-14 from 3-point range and made just 60 percent of their free throws.

“Tonight, jump shots weren’t falling for us, and it’s happened before,” senior guard Ryan Brooks said. “We’ve got to figure it out somehow on offense. You’ve just got to find other ways to score. Get a couple easy buckets in transition, get to the free-throw line and hit some free throws, and the jump shots will come.

“You can’t get down on yourself on missing jump shots. I think we shot a couple questionable shots, and when we get the open shots we’ve got to knock them down. Our offense hurt us tonight, but we’ve got to keep plugging away.”

The Red Storm defense does deserve credit, but the fewest points St. John’s (now 5-0) had allowed prior to Saturday’s game was 68 points twice, to St. Bonaventure and Siena. In fact, entering the matchup, St. John’s opponents were averaging 70.5 points per game and were shooting at a 45.9 percent clip.

The Red Storm held junior forward Lavoy Allen to nine points and four rebounds on 4-of-11 shooting. Allen headed to the bench at the 9 minute, 4 second mark of the first half in Saturday’s game with two fouls. Brooks and sophomore guard Juan Fernandez combined for 13 points on 5-of-24 shooting.

“I think we never got to play comfortable enough,” Fernandez said. “We weren’t shooting well. When you’re shooting like that, it’s pretty hard. We had a couple of times like free throws or missed shots that if we made them would have probably changed the game.”

In the 46-45 loss to then-No. 20 Georgetown in the second game of the season, Allen notched his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds, but Brooks and Fernandez added 11 points total and connected on just four of their 21 attempts.

A more balanced offensive approach emerges in Temple’s four wins. In all but one game (the 61-50 win versus Virginia Tech), the Owls shot just about 50 percent, and in each (again, with the exception of the Hokies game Friday), the trio of Allen, Brooks and Fernandez all came extremely close to scoring in double figures.

“We’re still trying to find our offense, and I think we can still try to be better,” Fernandez said. “We don’t have a Dionte [Christmas] or a Sergio [Olmos] like last year. I’m still trying to find that balance [between distributing the ball to teammates and scoring]. I think we’ve got more options than last year. We’ve just got to learn and know how to use them. If one guy’s not good one night, then we just have to go to another guy. I think we can do it. We’ve just got to learn how. We pushed it too much to get the ball inside, and we didn’t seem to know what to do when that happened [and it didn’t work].”

When Allen’s not scoring, one of the No. 1 options becomes Brooks. He scored a career-high 23 points in the season opener against Delaware but has been streaky since, notching 17 points in both the Siena and Ball State games, while being held to single digits in the rest.

“I don’t feel any pressure [to score],” Brooks said. “The shots that I can make, I’ve practiced. I don’t shoot any shots that I haven’t practiced. I just haven’t found my shooting touch yet. Coach told me when I’m not shooting as well that I’ve got to find other ways to help my team, whether it’s defensively or getting to the foul line or making plays for other people. I know I’ve got to pick it up. Positive things are going to happen. We’ve got to keep going, keep pushing.”

After the St. John’s loss Saturday, Fernandez said coach Fran Dunphy told the Owls their effort simply was not good enough.

“We had the chance to be 6-0 now if we wanted to, but instead, we’re 4-2,” Fernandez said.
“I think every coach just wants consistency, good decisions, and if we can get open shots, make the open shots,” Dunphy said after the 66-46 win against Ball State.

The Owls play Western Michigan tonight at 7 p.m. and then return to the Liacouras Center Saturday at 4 p.m. to face National Invitational Tournament champion Penn State.

Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temple.edu.

Redemption

Coach Al Golden and the football team completed a four-year journey from a 1-11 season in 2006 to a nine-game winning streak and likely bowl berth.

Though the football team lost to Ohio, 35-17, Friday and missed out on a chance to compete in the Mid-American Conference Championship against Central Michigan in Detroit, the Owls still made visible progress on the football field. With a 9-3 overall finish, including 7-1 in the MAC, Temple recorded its first winning season since 1990, set a single-season school record with nine wins in a row and finished in a tie for first place in the MAC East Division. In coach Al Golden’s first season, the Owls finished 1-11 but have steadily and noticeably improved each season since then.

2005
On Oct. 10, 2005, then-coach Bobby Wallace announced he would not seek a contract renewal. The search for a new coach ended almost two months later on Dec. 6, 2005, when Temple selected Al Golden. At the time, Golden became the second-youngest coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 36 years old. He had spent the previous five years as the defensive coordinator at the University of Virginia.
“It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I accept the position of head football coach at Temple University,” Golden said. “I am excited about leading this program …The future looks bright.”
“With Al Golden, we now have the final piece in place for the rebuilding of the Temple football program,” Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said.

2006
One of Golden’s first orders of business was signing 24 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Collegefootballnews.com ranked that recruiting class No. 1 in the MAC, a trend that continued for three consecutive years.

“To all the football players in the room, I don’t care what’s transpired in the past,” Golden said prior to the start of the season. “We are going to start a new era. You are going to begin with a clean slate. For anything that may have gone wrong in the past, I certainly can’t apologize for what happened. I wasn’t here. But I promise that you’ll get the best that I have, and you’ll get the best that our staff has.
“We want to be known around the country and the MAC for being a physical team that will play anyone, anytime and anywhere,” he added.

The Owls wrapped up Golden’s inaugural season at Temple with a 1-11 record, including an eight-game losing streak. They opened the season with a 9-3 overtime loss at Buffalo and then lost games to No. 13 Louisville and Minnesota, 62-0. No. 12 Clemson later defeated the Owls, 63-9. The lone bright spot for Temple in 2006 was Golden’s first win, a 28-14 Homecoming victory against Bowling Green on Oct. 28.
“We will re-group,” Golden said after the Louisville game. “I told the team I wouldn’t trade locker rooms – and I mean that. I would not trade locker rooms. I wouldn’t want to be with another team. I believe we’re going to get it done here. I know we’re going to get it done here. We have too many good people not to get it done.”

2007
The Owls improved to 4-8 overall and 4-4 in the MAC, even by playing the nation’s most freshmen for the second straight year. All four wins came in conference play, as a pass from sophomore wide receiver Dy’Onne Crudup to junior wide receiver Bruce Francis was ruled incomplete and not reversed following replay for a 22-17 non-conference loss to Connecticut on Sept. 15.

The Owls also dropped decisions to Navy, Army and No. 25 Penn State. Temple opened the season with a five-game losing streak but then won three straight games, including a 16-15 Homecoming victory against Northern Illinois and a 24-17 win versus Miami (Ohio), who was undefeated in MAC play at that point.

The Owls wrapped up the season with three losses in four games, after redshirt junior quarterback Adam DiMichele fractured his left tibia. The Owls did post the No. 1-ranked redzone defense in the nation and the No. 1-ranked defense in the MAC.

“I think the people who know me know I’m a positive person,” Golden said after the 30-19 loss to Navy Sept. 1. “I have supreme confidence in myself and my staff. I have faith. We’ve got unwavering principles. We’re just going to keep going. You look back at all the turnarounds in college football. You look at what all those teams were. I know them all. I’ve studied them. It’s not easy. It’s not just like you’re changing your team. You’re changing everything. We’re going to hang in there and keep plugging away. I’m not going to take off my Temple gear when I go home tonight. I’m not going to do it. I’m proud to be the coach here.”

“I’ve told my team we’re slaying demons one by one,” Golden added later in the season after a 24-20 win against Akron. “Win one MAC game, win one MAC road game … slay them one by one.”

2008
What ifs dominated this season, as the Owls, who finished 5-7 overall and 4-4 again in the MAC, lost five games by a touchdown or less. After opening the season with a convincing 35-7 win at Army, Temple lost to Connecticut, 12-9, in overtime. Then came the 30-28 loss in the Hail Mary game at Buffalo. Golden lost his first game on Homecoming, as Western Michigan defeated the Owls, 7-3. In the latter third of the season, the Owls lost back-to-back close games at Navy and at Kent State. The Midshipmen scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and then scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime for a 33-27 win, while the Golden Flashes held on for a 41-38 win on the road that all but eliminated the Owls from the MAC East Division race. Temple finished tied for second.

“In 21 years of college football, I don’t think I have ever been involved in anything like this,” Golden said after the Navy loss. “It’s heartbreaking, but we’ll get them back.

“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom,” Golden added after the season-ending 27-6 victory against Akron. “Sometimes you have to experience what we experienced at Navy.”

2009
The Owls opened the season with a 27-24 loss to Football Championship Subdivision opponent Villanova. Temple led, 10-0, at halftime but committed five turnovers.

“These kids have been through so much,” Golden said afterward. “Everybody just expects it to change, and it just doesn’t change overnight. It’s not the end of our season. We got a bunch of games left.”
After a 31-6 loss to then-No. 5 Penn State, Temple ripped off a record nine straight wins. The streak started with a 37-13 victory against defending MAC Champion Buffalo Sept. 26.

“Let me just say this about our organization and our kids,” Golden said. “People talk about the Hail Mary [last year against Buffalo], but they forget the second part of that is ‘full of grace.’ Our kids handled it with grace for a year.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever been 1-0 in the MAC,” Golden added. “I’ve got to hide in the city and hide in the state [after losing to Villanova and Penn State], but at least we’re 1-0 in the MAC.”

The Buffalo game also marked the first start for emerging freshman running back Bernard Pierce. He carried the ball 20 times for 116 yards and his first touchdown. Golden said he had been “working three years to get that kind of rushing game.”

Pierce left the Nov. 17 game against Army with a left shoulder injury but recorded six 100-yard rushing games during the season. He broke the 1,000-yard barrier in the 27-24 win versus Navy (when the Owls officially became bowl eligible). After that game, Pierce was ranked the No. 3 running back in the FBS and the No. 1 freshman. He finished No. 13 after leaving the Kent State game with a shoulder injury and missing the season finale against Ohio. Pierce now holds the record for most touchdowns in a season with 15, however.

“This team is different,” Golden said after the Navy win. “This team loves each other. This team has unity. This team won’t crack. They just hang in there and stay together. I see a team that has some poise and believes in the brand.”

Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temple.edu.

TU Purpose aims to open dialogue among students

Through events such as Dutch politico Geert Wilders’ speech, TU Purpose President Alvaro Watson said he hopes to promote social discourse.

Among more than 100 registered student organizations at Temple, one of the newest has drawn a significant amount of notoriety in recent weeks amid controversy over its events and purposes.

Temple University Purpose, which began in March, is now known by many as the host of controversial Dutch parliamentary member Geert Wilders, whose visit to campus last month captured national media attention. Wilders, an outspoken critic of Islam, is assailed by many as a hate-monger, while others claim he is a victim of censorship because of his political beliefs.

Although seen by some as a political statement on TU Purpose’s part – they did, after all, reach out to the College Republicans to help host the event – Alvaro Watson, the group’s president and founder, explained the organization’s mission.

“Our aim is to promote cohesion on campus through learning about our differences,” Watson said.
He emphasized that hosting Wilders was in no way indicative of the views of TU Purpose, which he described as apolitical. Rather, he said, the intention was to promote dialogue on the issues Wilders raised.

“We want to bring different social and political groups together, and to do that, we need to know what we’re up against,” Watson said.

Some, however, did not see it that way. The Office of Student Affairs reportedly informed Watson that death threats were made toward Muslim students in connection with the TU Purpose-hosted Wilders event, forcing the group’s leadership to weigh the risks of carrying on with the event.

“Ultimately, we decided we had a responsibility to go through with it,” Watson said.

Meanwhile, the College Republicans, cautious of the negative publicity that the Wilders speech was garnering, withdrew its affiliation.

While TU Purpose’s first recognized on-campus event would not proceed without criticism – protesters demonstrated outside of Anderson Hall the night of Wilders’ lecture – Watson said he considered the contrasting views to be evidence of his group’s accomplishments.

“We achieved what we set out to achieve, and that was to start a conversation about our differences, but also our similarities,” he said, adding that he was glad to see that students cared enough to voice their opinions through protest. “They made it a success.”

Although it originally consisted of mostly social work majors, the organization recently expanded to include approximately 50 members from various colleges and backgrounds.

Watson said he hopes the group will continue to grow and offer similar programs to promote discourse on social issues.

Don Hoegg can be reached at don.hoegg@temple.edu.

New “Ergo” design for peripherals helps save students from tech strain

Disability Resources recently launched Project Ergo in computer labs.

The TECH Center now offers a selection of ergonomically designed computer equipment as part of an effort to prevent repetitive strain injuries caused by computer use and teach better computing habits.

Disability Resources and Services and the Computer Services Department added 100 specialized keyboards, mice, monitors and pieces of furniture to computer labs through Project Ergo.

“It’s not so much that there’s a problem with the original equipment, it’s that the original equipment was really designed to meet the needs of the machine,” DRS Student Services Coordinator Karen Latimer said. “It wasn’t meant for people to sit at for eight hours a day, or even four hours a day.”

The new equipment is intended to improve the ordinary kind by reducing strain and supporting users as they work for extended periods.

“I like the ergonomics,” senior Jesse Lockett said after trying a vertical mouse, shaped to fit the outstretched hand. “I’m a kinesiology major, and I figured that was the design behind it.”

In addition to the vertical style, the TECH Center offers new trackball-style mice, which are designed to cut out unnecessary motion. They sit in place on the desk and hold a rotating ball that controls the user’s cursor.

“My mom has issues with carpal tunnel, so I definitely know the effects on the wrist and elbow. Something like this would definitely be effective for her,” Lockett said.

Ergonomic disorders like carpal tunnel make up the fastest growing category of work-related illness and comprise 56 percent of illnesses reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Chronic injuries caused by computer use are prevented by combining the right equipment with regular breaks, Latimer said.

“I didn’t really like it,” senior risk management major Angela McBride said about a sloped Microsoft keyboard that splits the keys into right and left halves.

“I had to get used to it, and it’s not flat,” she said. “The majority of the time, I use my keyboard at home, and it’s a flat keyboard.”

Split keyboards like this one are slightly larger than ordinary keyboards and appeal to users who want extra typing space. For the opposite purpose, smaller keyboards were also installed.

“The experience of trying out some different things and different products without having to buy them all and find out that they aren’t comfortable for you is really a unique opportunity,” Latimer said.

For those who find they like the equipment, “it doesn’t really cost a lot more to buy an ergonomic keyboard over a standard keyboard,” she added. “In some cases they’re exactly the same cost.”

New large-screen monitors in the TECH Center help users with poor vision and are a favorite for types of work that call for a larger display.

Height-adjustable workstations — another new technology — allow users to shift their desktops up or down with the press of a button.

Armrests that extend a swiveling elbow support are also popular, but many people are not sure how to use them.

“I think that’s part of the problem is that people just don’t know what they’re for, and they get in their way instead of using them properly,” Latimer said. “You don’t realize how you’re holding your arms and shoulders in position until you don’t have to anymore, and it feels like sitting in a La-Z-Boy armchair.”

Thomas Driscoll can be reached at thomas.driscoll@temple.edu.

Berks Mall dons new trustee name

Though he is not an alumnus, former Board of Trustees Chair Daniel Polett is the namesake of Berks Mall between 12th and 13th streets.

While passing the landmark Bell Tower on Main Campus between 12th and 13th streets, students may now notice a few not-quite-cherry-red plates of metal – new street signs. Among these signs is one new and possibly unfamiliar name: Polett Walk.

Most recognize the pedestrian walkway that runs through Liacouras Walk as Berks Mall, since it becomes Berks Street after crossing 17th Street to the west and 11th Street to the east.

The decision to rename the walkway was made at a meeting of the Temple Board of Trustees Oct. 13, when the board unanimously approved the naming of Polett Walk to honor former board chairman Daniel Polett.

Polett, a member of Temple’s Board of Trustees since 1992, was elected board chair in 2006 and served the position until he was succeeded by Patrick J. O’Connor earlier this year. Polett has been an active member through his involvement with the Executive, Academic Affairs and Trustee Affairs committees.

Upon hearing the board’s vote, Polett said he is “humbled and honored by this recognition. I love Temple and have been proud to serve the university,” according to the university Office of News Communications.

Polett graduated from Fordham University and embarked on his career in the automotive industry in 1960. Since then, Polett became a renowned entrepreneur in the industry, receiving various awards in the field.

In 1975 and 1995, Time magazine presented Polett with its Magazine Quality Dealer Award.

Although Polett did not graduate from Temple, he soon became a prominent figure in the university through his work on the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce as well as the board that helps to oversee Temple University Hospital.

In 1993, Polett earned the Acres of Diamonds Award, an award that has been presented by Temple to publications such as In Style magazine, Sports Illustrated and Martha Stewart Living. Following this award, he received the 1995 Russell Conwell Award, the highest honor given to a non-alumnus.

Prior to being elected as the board chair, Polett chaired the 17-member committee that recommended Ann Weaver Hart to the board for consideration as Temple’s ninth president.

In addition to his service to the university, Polett is a member of the Board of Directors for both Catholic Social Services and St. Ignatius Nursing Home. Polett also serves as chairman of the Cardinal’s Christmas Party for Children, which is hosted by Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Angelo Fichera can be reached at afichera@temple.edu.

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