Is that bias for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?

She’s been compared to a monster and Rocky. High-ranking Democrats have called for her to quit the race. And the media have been ruthless in her campaign coverage, including commentary by The Temple News.

It seems that no matter what Sen. Hillary Clinton does, she’s under constant attack by the media. The other presidential candidates don’t have that pleasure.

For example, MSNBC’s David Shuster said in February that former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton was “being pimped out” by her mother. Yet no one says anything about Sen. John McCain’s traveling, blogging daughter.

Another incident occurred when President Bill Clinton recently tried to defend his wife’s misspoken words about Bosnia, saying she was tired at 11 p.m. one night and was under a lot of pressure when she gave the speech.

The media filled with glee. I remember watching the local news that night, as the anchor speculated about the contradiction between the president’s statement and the infamous “3 a.m.” Clinton commercial.

The anchor said, and I paraphrase, “Some wonder if Hillary Clinton can answer the phone at 3 a.m. if she can’t even speak clearly at 11 p.m.”

Such unfair, presumptive attacks on the senator seem like attempts by local and national media to slant their coverage toward Sen. Barack Obama. That is, until ABC’s nationally televised debate last Wednesday.

Moderators and ABC journalists Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos have been heavily criticized for their handling the debate. Many say they spent too much time on rumor control rather than hard issues and agree that the debate was slanted to Clinton’s favor.

ABC helped to give journalists – broadcast journalists, in particular – a credibility battle. First, Stephanopoulos was a staffer under President Clinton, which, to me, presents a clear conflict of interest.

It wasn’t until halfway through the debate that “real” questions began to get answered – questions on taxes and the economy, the war in Iraq. Questions that truly matter to millions of Americans.

ABC had a chance to shine with their exclusive debate, yet floundered by asking questions about not wearing U.S. flag pins or associating with an outspoken pastor.

If this was ABC’s attempt to give Clinton a larger lead in Pennsylvania’s primary polls, it nearly failed. If they tried forcefully to depict Clinton as the Rocky underdog, it could have turned voters off.

But thankfully for the democratic process, Pennsylvanians responded while ignoring the polls. Despite media reports of Obama closing the gap within percentage points, Clinton won by about 10 percent of the votes.

As journalists, it is our responsibility to find the truth. We present the objective facts and avoid speculation. It is a journalist’s duty to report all facts from all views so the audience can make its own speculations and decisions – despite personal beliefs of the New York senator.

These are fundamental rules of journalism – fundamental rules that many news organization seem to have forgotten.

But they aren’t the ones suffering here. We are.

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

Crime Report for 4/22

April 14

Presser Hall Library

Employee reported an unknown person removed the glass to the library door between 4 p.m. April 13 and 6:45 a.m. April 14.  Nothing reported missing.

1250 W. Oxford St

Window broken on a 2003 Chevrolet with text books taken between 7:40 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. April 14.

1250 W. Berks St.

Student reported receiving harassing e-mails from another student at 2 p.m. on April 14.

2105 N. Carlisle St.

Window broken on a 2000 Honda between 6 p.m. April 13 and 4:35 p.m. April 14. Nothing reported missing.

Outpatient

Employee reported an unknown person removed a computer printer from room B5 between 4 p.m. April 11 and 10:30 a.m. April 14. No force found.

April 15

2037 N. 11th St.

A non-Temple affiliated male was transported to Temple Hospital by Fire Rescue from the rear of the high-rise housing development for treatment of a wound to his leg after he was shot by another male.

Maxi’s

A female student was transported to Temple Hospital for treatment and observation of excessive consumption of alcohol. Referred to UDC.

1300 Berks St.

A male student was transported to Temple Hospital for treatment and observation of excessive consumption of alcohol. Referred to UDC.

Saxbys Coffee

A male student was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment and observation of excessive consumption of alcohol. Referred to UDC.

1251 Berks St.

An underage male student was found in possession of two bottles of beer. Referred to UDC.

McGonigle Hall

Student reported an unknown person removed a cell phone and $19 from his book bag when it was left unattended between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. April 15.

 

1900 Liacouras Walk

Two students reported being pushed and grabbed by another student during a verbal altercation at 3:58 p.m. April 15. PCC advised and Referred to UDC.

1331 W. Berks St.

A female student was transported to Temple Hospital for treatment and observation of excessive consumption of alcohol. Referred to UDC.

1700 N. 16th St.

A male student reported an unknown person snatched his cell phone from his hand and fled at 9:25 p.m. April 15. No injuries reported.

1212 W. Berks St.

A non-Temple affiliated male reported a Temple student forcibly took his skateboard. The student was taken into custody by Campus Police after the complainant took his skateboard back but was punched several times. No injuries reported. The complainant declined to file criminal charges. Referred to UDC.

April 16

1300 Residence Hall

Window broken on a John Deer “Gator” tractor and a trip meter taken between 4 p.m. April 15 and 8:30 a.m. April 16.

Temple Towers

Student reported an unknown person removed his Lumper GT bike that was secured to the fence between 10 p.m. April 14 and 3 p.m. April 15.

Student Center, Food Court

Student reported an unknown person removed his wallet, containing ID and keycard when it was left unattended between 12 p.m. and 12:10 p.m. April 15.

1940 Residence Hall, Fifth Floor

Student reported an unknown person entered his unsecured room and removed an Apple laptop between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. April 16.

1300 Residence Hall

Two female students were involved in a physical altercation after an argument at 11 p.m. April 16. No injuries reported. Referred to UDC.

1940 Residence Hall

Student reported an unknown person removed her unattended Owl Card from the fourth-floor laundry room and used it to purchase $15 worth of items from the 7-Eleven on Liacouras Walk at 11:30 p.m. April 16.

April 17

Rock Pavilion, Third Floor

Patient reported an unknown person removed a Gucci purse containing medical cards, social security cards and keys from the room closet between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. April 14.

April 18

The Edge

Employee of the Edge reported an unknown person broke an exterior window to the complex between 12 a.m. and 12:20 a.m. April 18.

2150 N. 15th St.

Student reported having his cell phone and wallet, containing ID and debit card, taken by two unknown males who punched him at 3:55 a.m. April 18. No injuries reported.

Hardwick Hall, Roof

Employee reported an unknown person spray-painted the Diamond Street side wall of Hardwick Hall just beneath the roof line.

1500 N. 15th St.

Window broken on a 1998 Oldsmobile between 10 p.m. April 17 and 9 a.m. April 18. Nothing reported missing.

Gladfelter Hall, Eighth Floor

Employee reported an unknown person removed a leather bag containing a cell phone, credit cards, $13 and keys between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. April 18. No force found.

Student Center, Food Court

Student took a bagel and a sandwich, valued at $7.98, and attempted to leave without paying. Referred to UDC.

Patient Tower, Fifth Floor

Patient reported unknown person removed a police and fire debit card from his wallet while unattended between April 10 at 7 p.m. and April 18 at 11:30 a.m. and withdrew $860 from the account.

Patient Tower, Fifth Floor

Patient reported unknown person removed his wallet while unattended between April 13 at 8:40 a.m. and April 18 at 12:40 p.m., containing various cards and state ID.

April 19

Johnson Hall

An underage student was transported to Temple Hospital for treatment and observation of excessive consumption of alcohol when he was observed with alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and staggering. Referred to UDC.

1437 Norris St.

Employee reported an unknown person damaged the roof on his 2002 Hyundai between 11:30 p.m. April 18 and 8 a.m. April 19.

Wachman Hall, Ground Level

Employee reported an unknown person removed her cell phone from a classroom when it was left unattended at 12:15 p.m. on April 19.

1510 Jefferson St.

Window broken on a 2000 Ford Ranger between 6 p.m. on April 18 and 2:30 p.m. on April 19. Nothing reported missing.

1511 N. 16th St.

Complainant, a non-Temple affiliated male, reported being approached by a group of males while at a party. One of the males pushed him against a metal fence causing a laceration to his hand that required 17 stitches at 8:45 p.m. on April 15.

1510 Jefferson St.

Window broken on a 2000 Ford Ranger between 6 p.m. on April 18 and 2:30 p.m. on April 19. Nothing reported missing.

April 20

1600 N. 12th St.

Window broken on a 1999 Plymouth Town & Country, with $3 taken between 12 p.m. on April 19 and 2:20 a.m. on April 20.

1601 N. Broad St., Fifth Floor

Campus Police arrested a male student for disorderly conduct after causing a disturbance and yelling profanities at police.  Referred to UDC.

1491 Oxford St.

Campus Police arrested a Non-Temple affiliated male for outstanding warrant.

John Marzano, 45, former TU baseball star

John Marzano, a former Temple baseball player who played 10 years in the Major Leagues, died on Saturday, April 19 after falling down a flight of stairs in his South Philadelphia home. He was 45.

As of late Saturday night, the exact cause of Marzano’s death was not immediately clear, the Associated Press reported.

Marzano, a catcher who played for the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, worked as a broadcaster for Comcast SportsNet, 610 WIP-AM and MLB.com after his playing days ended in 1998.

The Central High graduate played for the Owls from 1982 to 1984 and holds the highest career batting average (.413) in program history and ranks second all-time in slugging percentage and RBIs. He won a gold medal as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic baseball team and was a part of former Owls coach Skip Wilson’s back-to-back Atlantic Ten Conference Championship squads in 1983 and 1984.

Wilson said he talked to his former player over the phone last Thursday, and Marzano offered to buy him and his wife tickets to a Phillies game.

“He was just a beautiful boy,” said Wilson, who coached the Owls from 1960 to 2005. “He and I were very close. I’ll miss him dearly.”
The 1998 Temple Athletics Hall of Fame inductee was “well liked by all of his teammates and very dedicated to playing the game of baseball,” Wilson said.

“He was a very, very cocky south Philadelphia ball player,” former Temple pitcher Bill Mendek, a teammate of Marzano’s, said. “But the difference between him and the other cocky Philadelphia players was that he could back it up. He carried himself differently but, before long, you realized he was the real deal.”

When Wilson retired two years ago, he said Marzano was interviewed to be his potential replacement, but he wasn’t interested in the position.

“He would’ve been a great coach,” he said. “He was excellent with kids. He knew the game. We used to talk about the four aspects of the game — know the game, know how to teach the game, know your personnel and know how to utilize you’re personnel. He had all those qualities. He was a great teacher. It was just a matter of time before he became a coach.”

A moment of silence was observed in Marzano’s honor prior to Sunday’s baseball game against visiting Duquesne at Ambler’s Skip Wilson Field.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of John Marzano,” Temple Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said in a statement. “He was a terrific friend of Temple baseball and a dedicated player, broadcaster, father and husband. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time.”

Marzano is survived by his wife Terri, daughters Dominique and Danielle, and two grandchildren.

Tyson McCloud can be reached at tyson@temple.edu.

Hart signs sustainability pact

President Ann Weaver Hart signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment at a ceremony held in Mitten Hall yesterday. In signing, Temple joins 521 other colleges and universities across the country that have expressed concern about climate change.

Representatives from the Sustainability Task Force and members of Students for Environmental Action were all in attendance for the signing yesterday.

Formers members of SEA who are now affiliated with the Sustainability Task Force proposed this step to the university numerous times before Temple agreed to it this year.

William Bergman, vice president of operations at Temple, spoke briefly about the commitment before introducing the Sustainability Task Force. Hart expressed a personal significance in signing the commitment at the ceremony.

Mathew Himmelein, president of Students for Environmental Action, introduced Hart at the ceremony. He also noted that universities and colleges are important in their ability to do research and implement new initiatives directly on their own campus.
“The youth voice is so huge right now,” Himmelein said.

Himmelein addressed a proposed petition where students, faculty and staff pay $25 for alternative energy purchases along with converting the school’s bus fleet from diesel to biodiesel.

The commitment aims to take on global warming by having college institutions pledge to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
The ACUPCC takes the position that colleges are the perfect setting for reaching the goal of climate neutrality because they house those who will be faced with this problem in their future.

As part of the agreement with ACUPCC, Temple must include topics on sustainability into the schools curriculum.

The involvement of students themselves is important to the ACUPCC. They state that educating students about climate sustainability will directly benefit them because of the steps they will take to solve this universal problem.

There are specific parameters and goals Temple must meet in accordance to the commitment. The school will create its own plan to follow and, within two years, will have designated a target date for achieving climate neutrality.

Himmelein said the next steps for Temple are clear.

“Work to save the planet,” he said.

Greg Adomaitis can be reached at greg.adomaitis@temple.edu

Former grad student sues university

A lawsuit filed by a former graduate student has Temple in the midst of a legal battle over students’ First Amendment rights.
On April 10, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Temple appealed a March 2007 ruling that the university’s old sexual harassment policy was too broad and unconstitutional. Temple amended the old policy, which the District Court permanently enjoined.

Sgt. Christian DeJohn, 38, a Pennsylvania National Guard combat veteran and former Temple graduate student, filed suit against Temple in 2006, challenging the constitutionality of the university’s then-standing sexual harassment policy.

If Temple loses the appeal, it will be prevented from reverting back to its old policy, said David Hacker, an Alliance Defense Fund attorney who is representing DeJohn.

“There’s no objectivity to [the old policy],” Hacker said. “Temple did the right thing by changing [it], but the only reason they changed it was because of Mr. DeJohn’s lawsuit.”

Hacker said it could take three to six months for the court to make a decision.

University counsel George Moore said the old sexual harassment policy, which was developed through a university-wide committee including faculty, administrators and student consultations, contained language similar to the Equal Opportunity Act.

“The District Court found that Temple’s policy was overly broad based on a Third Circuit decision involving a civility code in primary education out of the State College School District,” Moore said. “Temple’s sexual harassment [code], which is not a civility code [or a speech code], is a code addressing illegal sexual harassing conduct.”

Moore said the outcome of the case is difficult to predict.

“One [option] is to seek reconsideration by the Third Circuit. Although, if the Third Circuit believes that the case was decided with regards to State College School District, the Third Circuit might feel bound to follow that,” he said.

“If the decision comes out based on that prior case, they don’t have any choice,” Moore said. “It might be a waste of time to ask them to reconsider. In that case, either side that is unhappy … can seek certiorari from the [U.S.] Supreme Court, [but] the Supreme Court only takes a small percentage of cases that way.”

In the same suit, DeJohn accused Temple of retaliation, which prevented him from graduating, and specifically sued the university itself, former President David Adamany, former history department chair Dr. Richard Immerman and history professor Dr. Gregory Urwin.

Moore said the court properly dismissed DeJohn’s claims of retaliation, as he did not meet university standards.

“With respect to his claim about the university sexual harassment policies, his claims really had nothing to do with the sexual harassment policy as it existed at the time,” Moore said. “It was not even a pertinent part of his claims of retaliation.”

DeJohn said his problems with Temple began when he took a leave of absence from working toward his military history degree to serve in Bosnia after the Spring 2002 semester.

When he returned back to the United States in March 2003, he learned that he was expelled from the university for failing to properly document his leave.

“This was my ‘welcome home’ from Temple,” DeJohn said. “‘Welcome home, you’re kicked out.’”
DeJohn was readmitted into the university and completed his class requirements. He began to research and write his graduate thesis, the last step in obtaining his degree.

“Because of Sept. 11, my whole life was disrupted,” DeJohn said. “I just wanted to finish my degree.”

When the primary reader of his thesis, history professor Dr. Jay Lockenour, was ready to sign off on it, DeJohn had one more hurdle to overcome – a secondary reader, Urwin, also had to approve it.

“DeJohn could have easily executed the revisions I recommended for his flawed [Master of Arts] thesis in two weeks and walked away from Temple with his degree years ago,” Urwin wrote in an e-mail, adding that he is currently helping four service members obtain degrees.

“One of the wildest charges DeJohn has circulated since the trial is that I have had him blackballed by various potential employers. How in the world would I know where he was applying for work?”

DeJohn said that though Urwin did not approve his thesis, Lockenour advised him to register to graduate in May 2005 anyway.
Although he never graduated, he said Temple reported to his student loan companies that he obtained a diploma, causing his loans to default, damaging his credit.

“As a veteran, I feel really strongly about civil rights, freedom of speech and First Amendment rights,” DeJohn said. “I think I have a responsibility to defend them. I like the irony here. I come home to Philadelphia, the cradle of democracy, and Temple is denying me my civil rights.”

“Before the disagreements, I had no problems as a student,” DeJohn said. “My cumulative GPA was a 3.2 or 3.3 in graduate school.”
DeJohn said he believes that his issues with the history department stemmed from his objections to receiving anti-war e-mails for weekly Dissent in America teach-ins sponsored by the department while he served overseas.

He said he is not sure what he could win in the case. He said one possibility is declaratory damages, in which Temple would be required to acknowledge that it violated the law.

“If we prevail on the First Amendment [issue], the usual award is $1. It’s a totally symbolic award,” he said.

He said he is ready to take the case as far as needed to ensure First Amendment rights for Temple students.

“If someone is hit by lightning once, it may be an accident,” he said. “If they’re hit seven times, something’s going on. I really have faith that this story will get out and that justice will be done – on the big picture level and my own personal individual level.”

Morgan A. Zalot can be reached at morgan.zalot@temple.edu.

Nutter speaks on first 100 days in office

“Day 100 is quite exciting, and we’re only halfway there,” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said, speaking to a group of mostly students and professors at the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

The event, titled “The First 100 Days: The Mayor and the Media,” was part of an Urban Studies Conversation series that is open to the public and allowed an opportunity to question Nutter about how he has dealt with the media.

Along with the media, Nutter also tackled the many issues that Philadelphia has been criticized for, maintaining that not all is lost and that there is a “balance.”

“Every day in the city, a few good things happen,” Nutter said.

One of the not-so-good things that played a major role in shaping last year’s mayoral race was Philadelphia’s high murder rate.

One of his solutions to the city’s crime has been the controversial stop-and-frisk policy. It allows police officers to search anyone on the street, who they see as acting suspiciously, without the need of a warrant. While this has been upheld in a 1968 U.S. Supreme Court decision, some fear that it will be used to discriminate against the city’s black citizens.

Nutter defended his decision and said he is less concerned about what color someone may be than if they have a weapon and are willing to use it.

“The unfortunate reality is that young black males are also most likely to be victims or perpetrators,” Nutter said.
To combat poverty, the mayor said education is the key, calling it “the overall factor that brings people out of poverty.”
Nutter cited his own access to an education as “the only reason I’m mayor of Philadelphia.”

Brandon Savran, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, said he was less interested in media, but wanted an opportunity to hear the mayor speak.

“I am just very excited about the things that he could possibly achieve in this term,” Savran said.

One issue Savran said he would like to have seen covered is how to increase private investment in the city and the willingness of companies to move jobs to Philadelphia.

Nutter commented on the recent fears of an economic crunch and how it might affect the city government, saying that Philadelphia is tied into the national economy.

“If our revenue starts to decline, [it will] impact [our] ability to provide services,” Nutter said.
He said while there is currently no specific strategy for the future, the administration will continue to make adjustments to the budget and five-year plans.

While waiting for Nutter to arrive, a number of students from around the country expressed a variety of views on the city before coming to Philadelphia.

One student commented that “Philly has the worst reputation for corruption,” while another said he sees Philadelphia as being an “old and historic” city.

Kriston Bethel can be reached at kbethel@temple.edu.

Obama speaks to 35,000 at Independence Mall

Just four days before the April 22 primary in Pennsylvania, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama made another campaign stop in Philadelphia. This time, the turnout was higher than expected.

Frank Friel, director of security at the Independence Visitor Center, estimated that 35,000 people attended a rally for the senator Friday night. This turnout has been the biggest one so far in Obama’s presidential campaign. The estimate increased from an initial prediction of 10,000 before the rally began, another official said.

In a joint effort, the Secret Service, local law enforcement agents and park rangers continuously scoped the area around Independence Hall for hours before the senator arrived.

The lines of people waiting for a chance to see Obama wrapped around Independence Hall and continued for several adjacent blocks. The crowd took its place around 6 p.m. and stuck around for more than three hours.

Obama began his speech by reminding people of the history of Independence Hall.

“It was over 200 years ago that a group of patriots gathered in this city to do something that no one in the world believed they could do – to declare their independence from the tyranny of the British throne,” he said.

His ongoing messages of hope and change were also present in his speech. Before a cheering crowd, Obama vowed to change the way politics is conducted in America.

“It is time to declare our independence from the broken politics of Washington – the type of politics that’s all about tearing each other down instead of lifting the country up,” Obama said.

He quickly turned the attention to the Iraq war by criticizing the current administration’s policies and the policies proposed by presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain.

“I don’t think we can afford four more years of George Bush and John McCain ideas of economic progress,” he said. “It’s time to turn the page and write a new chapter in American history.”

He also criticized his Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton and her “kitchen sink” strategy of negative attacks. He called Clinton a “committed” public servant, but also someone playing by the “same old Washington game.”

“She’s taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any other candidate in this race, even John McCain,” Obama said.
The rally came only two days after the most-watched presidential debate of this election cycle failed to meet many viewers’ expectations. Nielsen Media Research reports more than 10.7 million people tuned in for the debate.

Justin Backel-Balik, a student from Brandeis University volunteering for the Obama rally, said he thought the debate was not substantial.

“I think [debate network] ABC should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. “The first 45 minutes, there were no policy questions. I thought it was kind of ridiculous.”

One of Obama’s avid and most famous supporters, singer will.i.am also gave his take on the debate.

“I thought it’s sad that America is addicted to tearing itself apart and not realizing what’s best for it,” he said.

Julio C. Núñez can be reached at jottac@temple.edu.

Leadership Banquet Recognizes the Achievements of Temple Ambler Students

AMBLER – Ambler students were recently honored at the 17th-annual Student Leadership Awards banquet.
The Friday night event to honor students who have shown leadership at Ambler Campus was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Plymouth Meeting.
The event began with the singing of Temple’s alma mater, led by Student Government Association President Staisha Stephens-Brown.
Dr. Wanda Lewis-Campbell, assistant dean of Student Life, made comments about the year in review. She said there were several people in attendance as Temple staff that had previously attended the banquet as student leaders.
She said that because of the close-knit nature of the Ambler community, students want to come back to work for the university at the Ambler Campus.
Rachel Berger is a former student leader who now works for the university as a marketing coordinator.
“It is a nice time to get students together to recognize students for what they do all year,” Berger said. “Whether or not they win an award, they see Temple recognizes their hard work.”
Student and book scholarship award winner Brittany Jacobs said she was appreciative of being recognized at the leadership banquet.
“Dr. Wanda and the Office of Student Life outdid themselves in showing appreciation for the student leaders of Ambler,” Jacobs said.
Among the organizations recognized was the Ambler Accounting Professional Society. The volunteer income tax assistance program offered free tax preparation assistance to low- to moderate-income families. This year, the program assisted 95 people with their taxes.
A highlight of the night was when Veta Channel, from the Office of Student Life, was recognized for her service to Temple. Channel will be retiring after working at the university for more than 38-and-a-half years, and received a standing ovation for her many years of service.
Given out were the Russel Conwell Award, the Who’s Who Among College Students Award, the Dean’s Leadership Award and the Student Organization of the Year award.
The Student Organization of the Year award was presented to Sigma Chi Delta sorority.
“We feel like we do a lot, attending events of other organizations, as well as our own planning events for students and volunteering in the community,” Sigma Chi Delta Vice President Carly Sokoloff.
This year, the Student Leader of the Year award was given to Ryan Gillon and Sarada Jailal, both seniors, for their involvement and leadership in many of the campus organizations and events.
“It felt great walking away with the award,” Jailal said. “I was very happy to share it with Ryan. I hope to set an example for students to feel that their involvement can make a difference on campus.”
[Jailal is a staff writer for The Temple News]
For freshman and Ambler College Republicans President Joe Gale, the leadership banquet served as inspiration to take a more active role on campus.
“It was nice to see what awards my classmates and fellow ambassadors got,” Gale said. “It makes me want to get more involved.”
Victoria Oravec can be reached at victoria.oravec@temple.edu.

University switches to electronic grade submission

For the first time in 30 years, Temple is changing their grading system.
Starting this semester, Temple professors will submit their grades electronically, eliminating paper forms. This is the first time since the 1970s that Temple has changed their grading system. Previously, the university used mark sense grade forms, which some professors compared to a Scantron sheet.
“The administration and many instructors wanted us to move into a more modern method of grading,” said registrar Jacqueline Resavage. “It was felt that Temple University should be a leader not a follower in technology, so we embarked on this exciting project.”
Resavage added that students will benefit the most from this change.
“Based on the 24/7 concept for submitting grades, an expected benefit is that more grades will be submitted on time than in the past,” Resavage said.
Temple officials are taking all measures to ensure that professors fully understand the new system. A 10-minute online tutorial is available, which takes the viewer step by step through the process.
In addition to the online tutorial, in-person demonstrations were held last week on Main Campus and at the Ambler Campus, Health Sciences Center and Tyler Campus.
Professors will benefit from the new system as well, Resavage said. She explained that professors will be able to submit their grades when it is most convenient for them, and not when the Temple offices are open to receive forms.
Professors will be able to access the electronic grading form on April 29 through TUportal.
“I don’t think that it will be that much more efficient for instructors,” said statistics professor Alan J. Izenman. “However, it will remove a level of busywork for department secretaries and administrators who used to do all the paperwork and photocopying to process the grade sheets as they are handed in.”
Geology professor Laura Toran said she feels that the new system will be more efficient for both professors and students.
“There will be less paperwork, less chance of something getting lost, less time to get grades processed, and reduction in errors,” Toran said.
“I am glad they’re finally going to it. It’s long overdue,” said public relations professor Gregg Feistman.
Some professors cite having no issue with the old system.
“The old system was simple from my perspective,” said sport and recreation management professor Raymond Tedrick. “I had no trouble.”
“I’ve never had a problem with writing out grades on paper. It didn’t take long and you didn’t have to sit in front of a computer screen to do it,” Izenman said. “It’s all about going to a paperless society, I suppose.”
An added bonus to the new electronic system is the elimination of paper.
“Hopefully, this project will add value to the university-wide ‘going green’ initiative,” Resavage said, “since we will be eliminating thousands of pages of paper grade lists per year by going electronic.”
Jessica Lawlor can be reached at jessica.lawlor@temple.edu.

TSG slates fight issues in first debate

Temple Student Government held its first debate last Wednesday for the April 22 and 23 executive board elections. But few students attended the event in the Student Center Atrium.

The debate had two rounds of questioning. In the first, the slates were asked the same four questions, but in the second, they were asked two specific questions pertaining to their slate.

The three slates, Owl Opportunity, Temple Reloaded and Owl V.O.I.C.E.S., discussed relevant issues, such as campus involvement and housing. They also stated the reasons why each felt better qualified to run TSG next year.

“I think the thing that sets us apart from the other slates is the passion we have for Temple and everything we do,” said Nadine Mompremier, presidential candidate for Owl V.O.I.C.E.S. and current vice president of student affairs.

The other slates combated this assumption in later answers, saying that they were also passionate about Temple and the student body.

Apart from how they were different from the other slates, the slates answered questions on correcting problems on Temple’s campus, establishing new policies and handling criticism from the media and students.

“We would welcome it. We would work with it, and we would turn it into a constructive dialogue,” said Shiv Sethi, vice presidential candidate for external affairs for Owl Opportunity when asked about combating criticism.

The current executive board has gone through many changes this year to address the concern that many students are indifferent toward TSG. They have rewritten their constitution and have set up plans to establish a student senate next year.

“Once all the changes go through, we are going to be vulnerable. We need this slate to be strong enough for the change,” said Jeff Dempsey, presidential candidate for Temple Reloaded.

The senate will be made up of student officials selected by the deans of their appropriate schools. The number of officials will depend on the number of students in that specific college, ranging from two to four representatives. The senate will act as the legislative branch of TSG and will work with the executive board to address the needs of the students.

Many students questioned the balance of power between the executive branch and the senate and how the selection process would work.

“We want students to use it like we use our U.S. government,” said Nexus Cook, vice presidential candidate of external affairs for Owl V.O.I.C.E.S in a recent interview.

Confusion regarding the senate did cause a delay in the elections, but the current TSG executive board is confident in its future success.

“It will take a little bit of time for people to get used to it, but as people get more experience with it, it will get stronger,” TSG President Juan Galeano said in a recent interview.

Candidates will continue to campaign until elections next week. Each slate has a Facebook group, and both Temple Reloaded and Owl V.O.I.C.E.S have Web sites. Owl Opportunity can be seen around campus doing video interviews, asking students about the issues that are most important to them. The videos are posted to their Facebook group, Owl Opportunity 2008.

The elections will be on Tuesday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 23. The polling locations will be Tuttleman Learning Center, 1300 Residence Hall, the Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria and the Student Center Atrium. The polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both election dates.

Students can also vote online at any time on the election dates using the Temple Student Government Elections Web site.

Rebecca Hale can be reached at rebecca.hale@temple.edu.

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