Tragic Reminder

We’re going to change the culture of this city.”

Mayor Michael Nutter said this Friday night following yet another tragedy in Philadelphia.

The city is left to mourn once more – the seventh time since May 2006 – over a Philadelphia Police officer killed in the line of duty.

Officer John Pawlowski, 25, was shot in the chest Friday night in Olney. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Pawlowski succumbed to his wounds. The suspect, Rasheed Scruggs, was shot by the fallen officer’s partner and was also transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Simply put, the violence needs to stop.

“I am very angry about this. Very angry,” Nutter said at Albert Einstein Medical Center shortly after the officer died. “And the city will not rest until we’re able to take the necessary actions to protect our police officers [and] citizens.”

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey carries a heavy heart as the cop-killing trend continues in this city. In his year heading the department, the city has seen an overall decrease in violent crimes – including murder.

But that doesn’t make the news of cops killed in the line of duty any easier to bear.

“This is something that’s going to weigh very heavy on the hearts of everybody,” Ramsey said. “I’ve been in policing for 40 years, and I’ve not seen this happen like this before.”

The mantra of “change” has been one of the most overused in the past year. Yet, despite the progress being made on the streets of Philadelphia, more change will always be needed. It starts with taking firearms and repeat offenders off the streets.

More times than not, it is that particular combination that leads to tragic events like Officer Pawlowski’s death. Ramsey described Scruggs as an “unsalvageable” career criminal who should never have been on the streets.

His next date in court for his previous charges would have been tomorrow.

Pawlowski patrolled the 35th District, the same once patrolled by Officer Chuck Cassidy, who died in November 2007 a few days after being shot by another career criminal. Pawlowski leaves behind a wife, who is two-months pregnant.

Black bands will reappear on badges of police officers throughout the city. The Fraternal Order of Police building on Spring Garden Street already draped a black cloth over its entry. These acts are both poignant memorials for the officer and painful reminders of the violence within our city.

In one sense, these acts are necessary. If we simply forget, change will be stagnant.

And that, we cannot afford.

Housing Crunch

The rush for student housing starts every spring on Main Campus.

The warm weather and uptick in classified ads are synonymous. When freshmen and sophomores realize Temple is giving them the boot, many turn to popular options like University Village, Oxford Village, Elmira Jeffries and Kardon-Atlantic Terminal. These buildings can offer amenities like game rooms, security guards, modern furniture and even tanning beds. But those fancy extras come at a price that’s beyond the reaches of most college students’ budgets.

A two-bedroom apartment in Kardon-Atlantic runs about $2,000 per month, slightly less than the $2,300 price tag on a four-bedroom space in Oxford Village. Throw in utilities, and other living expenses, and the average student living in one of these apartment complexes is paying closer to $1,000 every month, in addition to what he or she is paying for tuition and utilities.

But the pricey housing options most students go for aren’t much in comparison to what freshmen pay to live in residence halls.

A 10-feet by 4-feet dorm room in Johnson Hall costs $3,063 per semester — $6,126 for about seven months. This doesn’t include the separate but mandtory meal plan packages, the cheapest of which is $1,239, according to Temple’s Dining Services Guide. The cost only covers 10 meals a week and $150 Diamond Dollars. Add all that up, and the bare minimum for a freshman just to sleep and eat on campus is $8,600 for seven months. No wonder so many students choose to live off campus.

Incoming freshmen should consider spending their first two semesters at Temple in buildings like University Village, which is full of students, near campus and has a security guard. A full year in one of these buildings costs less than two semesters on Main Campus, and the facilities are nicer.

The next step, of course, would be to look for non-student housing as upperclassmen. Craigslist advertises refurbished houses just three blocks from Main Campus for only $475 a month per person, and apartments in trendier neighborhoods like Fishtown and South Philadelphia for less than $600 per month. Students looking for a balance between school and a social life can find it better off campus than they can in dorms and other student housing.

Temple is doing something wrong if a semester in a dorm room costs more than six months’ rent in a house.

Student Standouts

Student-athletes are students, too.

So we’re proud to learn Temple doesn’t take shortcuts – like other schools do – in athletes’ academic experiences.

A recent USA Today article reports that a majority of student-athletes at 142 colleges with strong athletic programs typically tend to graduate from “easier” majors. This is mostly because advisers point them in that direction to reduce or eliminate the fear of not meeting NCAA eligibility requirements.

The NCAA has specific regulations for student-athletes. By the end of sophomore year, athletes must have at least 40 percent of their degree work complete. This would be easier to accomplish in a liberal arts major than it would in science or business, theoretically.

As The Temple News reports this week, members from a certain sports team tend to have similar majors. For example, many baseball players major in business-related studies, while football players gravitate toward criminal justice.

The USA Today report said many universities’ advisers direct student-athletes to pick the easier majors despite what the athletes’ true interests may be. Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Drew Radovich, who went to Southern California, picked sociology only because that’s what many other football players – 58 percent, in fact – chose.

Some seem to be too scared to follow their dreams (and pick a relevant major) because of the stress of the NCAA and, in some cases, academic advisers.

Student-athletes are motivated to do well in class and maintain a solid grade point average because their eligibility depends on it. But we commend Temple athletes for not necessarily taking an easy ‘A’ all the time. And we commend academic advisers who encourage these athletes to pursue tougher majors.
According to the 2007-2008 annual report from Temple Athletics, the 24 intercollegiate teams earned an admirable 2.95 collective GPA, a record high. Eleven teams exceeded a 3.0 average, also a record.
Considering that six teams qualified for NCAA postseason competition, those statistics are especially noteworthy.

We look up to our student-athletes for all they are able to accomplish. But we should not forget, as they cannot, that we are at Temple for a greater reason than to watch or play sports. We chose Temple for its educational opportunities.

At the end of the day, we’re all students. On and off the field.

Creative Recession

A press release on Temple’s Web site details the insights of Miles Orvell, a professor of English and American Studies here. Orvell asserts that the Great Depression was a period of great creative expression, during which some of the country’s greatest works of fiction and art were produced.

It may be that poor economic conditions really do spur creative output. In that case, we may be due for the next great American novel, given the recently announced recession.

Still, it is important to remember the influence of federal programs and financing on Depression-era art and literature. As the release notes, influential writers like Arthur Miller and Orson Welles were part of the federal programs of the 1930s. This fact should not be lost on today’s leaders, whether they are in politics or academia.

Maintaining strong arts programs may not seem like a vital initiative in the midst of a recession in which hundreds of thousands of jobs are lost each month. However, just as federally-funded artists captured many of the iconic images of the 1930s, we also need to ensure there are artists and writers who will capture the spirit of these times.

In an Inquirer article, J. Edward Cambron, vice president of marketing for the Philadelphia Orchestra, said “I read that during the Depression, people gravitated toward those things that brought them close to the important stuff in life,” and that arts were a part of that.

As the same article highlights, Philadelphians are still turning out for art shows and plays in the area. Clearly, there is still an appetite for art in a recession.

Literature and art will produce the images that will come to define our era. The images that came out of the Depression not only helped provide later generations with enduring impressions of the difficulties faced but helped build support for the massive public-works programs needed to climb out of those difficulties.

The government and Temple should keep these opportunities in mind. Getting the country behind a concerted effort to pull itself out of this recession, not to mention producing the next generation’s greatest writers and artists, is certainly worth attention, even in a rough economy. There may even be another great American novel waiting to be written.

Just Ends?

The courts of Philadelphia sent a powerful message last week.

Steven Holmes, a 19-year-old man who lives just east of Main Campus, has been sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison, followed by 27 years of probation, for the assault of a Temple student in Anderson Hall last year.

The victim, whose identity has been protected, was in Anderson Nov. 1, 2007, when Holmes grabbed her from behind, beat her, choked her and sexually assaulted her. She was in attendance during Holmes’ sentencing.

Common Pleas Judge Karen Shreeves-Johns issued a somewhat surprising sentence to Holmes, who also had a juvenile criminal record. For the victim, no particular term can match the physical and psychological trauma she experienced, but a potential sentence of 57 years is significant in this case.

Philadelphia – and the area surrounding Temple – has seen an increase in violent crimes recently, even though the murder rate is down. Many influences, including the poor economy, can be attributed as causes for this scenario. But with this sentence, the city now faces a double-edged sword.

To create stricter penalties for crimes less than murder and manslaughter would send a powerful message to would-be or repeat offenders. This can also send a positive signal to the city’s inhabitants, who may feel safer on the streets.

Continuation of such strict sentencing, however, would ask for more work from the city. This would include more police on the streets and upkeep – and perhaps construction – of prisons. The city is facing a large deficit right now, and Mayor Michael Nutter is attempting to balance the budget. A redistribution of funds can help the city where it needs it most.

Shreeves-Johns admitted in court she did not know “where [the justice system] failed,” referring to how Holmes remained on the streets with a lengthy criminal past. But her message through his sentencing is a message that should be seen as precedent.

We live in a city where many would-be offenders already have a criminal past. Due to overcrowding in the prisons or being sentenced by a lenient judge, these offenders are released to the streets, where they are likely to commit more crimes.

In order to maintain safety in the streets during an unsure time, more judges in the Philadelphia system should follow the lead of Shreeves-Johns, and the city should do its best to accommodate the changes.

Crimes of all severity should be considered with a careful eye by judges. Keeping criminals off the street would undoubtedly create a safer city and a Philadelphia with a purer reputation.

Unearthed Promises

The last time Temple professors went on strike was 1990, but now, there are whispers of a strike again.

Temple Association of University Professionals and the university have been locked in negotiations for months about the issue of merit pay. Temple is in favor of merit pay, while TAUP is opposed.

TAUP President Art Hochner said TAUP does not want to go to a full merit pay system because some faculty members would never receive pay increases despite performing well at their jobs.

The university recently raised tuition, but the salaries of faculty members have not increased.

Adequate compensation for professors is essential to ensuring qualified professors teach at Temple.
For most students, having competent teachers with something important to share and teach is more important than the millions of dollars poured into construction.

What good are new, state-of-the-art facilities if there aren’t strong professors teaching in them?
A school is only as good as the minds that fill it, not the newer buildings on the campus.

One of TAUP’s arguments against merit pay is the fear of the university having complete control over who receives raises.

TAUP executive board member Anthony Ranere said the complete control over pay raises by the university stifles academic freedom. In every syllabus students receive, there is often a paragraph devoted to academic freedom. This freedom of ideas should be extended to and executed by professors in addition to students.

Student support is essential to TAUP’s effort. During the strike in 1990, students marched on North Broad Street attempting to enter the office of the university’s chief negotiator. The group Students in Solidarity with University Professional and Students United for Education ended up holding a sit-in at Sullivan Hall.

Yesterday, Temple Student Government passed a resolution supporting TAUP.

The rest of the student body needs to be aware and inform themselves of the continuing situation with TAUP and the contract negotiations. If TAUP strikes, life on campus will be severely altered for the duration of the strike.

It is imperative students get involved and make their opinions on the situation known to the university, whatever they may be.

Hoop Season

Temple’s basketball teams are heading to the courts again, facing the difficult tasks of rebuilding after the loss of key players and, on the women’s side, a key coach. Even so, the Owls have a reputation to uphold. The men’s team won the Atlantic Ten Conference Championship last season, and the women appeared in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed.

We hope Temple students will support the basketball teams throughout this season. Besides the fact that basketball is the most successful big-ame sport at Temple, games are played right across the street in the Liacouras Center.

Coach Tonya Cardoza took the helm of a competitive women’s team after coach Dawn Staley left. Her job is to create a team that can vie for an NCAA berth again this year. The team will also have to compensate for the loss of Lady Comfort and other key players who helped make the women’s team a formidable opponent last year.

On the men’s team, coach Fran Dunphy will lead the defending champions in the A-10 Conference. Dionte Christmas will see even more pressure in this, his senior year, as Mark Tyndale departed last year. The men were ranked second in the A-10 in a pre-season poll, so they will have to prove themselves this season. They also face a tough schedule, playing powerhouses Tennessee and Kansas early on in the season.

The Temple News will make it easier to follow the Owls. We will have in-depth coverage of each game online, as well as analysis in the sports section of our print edition.

That coverage starts this week, with a four-page insert detailing the stats and prospects of both the men’s and women’s teams. It will continue throughout the season, making The Temple News your source for basketball coverage.

Home games are free with your Owl Card, so there is little reason not to see a game at the Liacouras Center. We encourage Temple students to support two successful and competitive teams that are bringing fame back to Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

Silence Foul

A Temple student was shot Sunday, Nov. 2 on Ninth and Norris streets around 1 a.m..

The student, a senior marketing major and a defender for the soccer team, told Temple Police officers that three men approached him, one of whom shot him when he informed them he had nothing for the taking. The victim was taken to Temple Hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the buttocks.

Following the incident, men’s soccer coach David MacWilliams and Larry Dougherty, the associate director of Athletics, declined to comment on the shooting. The student identified himself to The Temple News but refused an interview without permission from his coaches for fear of losing his scholarship.
The shooting appears in this week’s crime report, but it is listed only as assault. Campus Safety Services did not send out a TU-Advisory.

It is appalling that the university officials who are responsible for the well-being of our safety and our athletes have chosen not to act.

Although the shooting is still being investigated, the lack of comment from the soccer coach and associate athletic director suggests there is something to be covered up. A soccer player is injured with playoffs coming up this weekend, and his coaches have nothing to say about it. Even a statement wishing him well would have been better than nothing.

To make matters worse, the incident appears as an assault in the crime report compiled by Campus Safety Services. This choice of words downplays the shooting, putting it on the same level as a fist fight. CSS also failed to issue a TU-Advisory, the e-mail alert which warns students about potential threats on campus.

By entering the crime as an assault and neglecting to send an e-mail, Campus Safety Services is creating the false sense of security it aims to dispel. Students who feel safe walking home after a late night out will continue to do so if they aren’t aware a fellow classmate has been shot.

The crime report and TU-Advisory exist to keep students informed and neither is being used properly. It’s as if Temple is trying to brush the shooting off. It is understandable that CSS doesn’t want the incident to get blown out of proportion, but not addressing the shooting at all is unacceptable.

Similar incidents cannot be prevented if those who are most at risk are kept in the dark.

Student Duty

Today is Election Day. People are lined up at the polls, and news anchors are keeping tabs on the vote count. Temple students are in class.

Skipping class happens often on college campuses. Sick days, family situations, appointments and travel are among the common reasons students miss class. Laziness is another. But today, students who skip class aren’t really missing anything.

There is no better reason to skip class than to vote for the next leader of our country. Some professors and administrators feel that students who skip class are missing out on an important part of education. Although attendance is perhaps the most important key to a complete education, the best way to learn anything is through experience.

What students miss during one math class or one biology lab is minor when you consider the reason for skipping class.

Many Temple students have already voted through their absentee ballots. But those who live nearby campus – maybe only 20 or 30 minutes away – need to go home to cast their ballots in their appropriate districts. They should not be penalized for missing a class or two to vote.

That is not to say every student should skip class on Election Day. Those who have already voted or have time to vote between classes should not use the day as an excuse to cut class. But students who truly are unable to vote without missing class should be given excused absences.

Higher education is a privilege allowed to us by laws like those which demand equal opportunity, affirmative action and government aid. Those laws are byproducts of people exercising their right to vote. Today’s college students are tomorrow’s world leaders and the next generation’s educators. We need to set a precedent to show the importance and responsibility of voting. Skipping class to sleep in is irresponsible, but skipping class to vote is nothing short of necessary.

It is unrealistic to expect the country to shut down for everyone to vote. Things still need to get done, and our economy can’t afford a full day without production. Temple administrators do not need to shut down campus or cancel all classes, but instructors should be able to cancel class at their own discretion, and students should be excused from class to vote if necessary.

Lessons learned outside the classroom are often the most valuable. This is the first presidential election many Temple students are able to vote in. We should feel free to exercise that right without fear of consequence.

Power Exercise

It’s been a long two years, and tonight, the wait could be over.

In order to get to the end, you and the rest of America need to vote today.

You’ve registered, and maybe you’ve gotten involved with the campaign of your choice, and that work should pay off when you enter that voting booth.

For those of you who are still undecided, call the local Obama office and the local McCain office and get informed. If you are decided, do not harass or bother voters of a different political affiliation when you go to vote. It is just as much their right as yours to make a personal decision on whom to cast a ballot for.

There is always a push for the youth to get out and vote, and often on Election Day, the expectations for young people aren’t met. Prove people wrong. Make sure they can’t say young people didn’t close the deal.

As cheesy as it sounds, you are the future. This generation is poised to one day make the important decisions and deal with the consequences. Have an active role in how the future is formed. Voting is a great way to get involved.

Get to your polling place early, wait in line for as long as you have to and skip class if you must, but no matter what, do not leave the polling location until you have cast your vote. If you are in line when the polls close, do not leave. Being in line guarantees you time in the polling booth.

Do yourself a favor and look beyond the national elections and take the time to cast your ballot for local and state offices. Local and state political figures have an impact on what happens in Philadelphia and at Temple, and it is important to take the time and vote for them.

Hopefully, you’ve done your research and are well versed on all of the issues important to you. If you need a little last-minute information, reference Elizabeth Hanson and Brian McGovern’s Op-Eds on the candidates on Page 5.

This election season has been a wild ride, and it’ll only get crazier if at some point today you do not go and vote.

This is your legal right, an entitlement past Americans fought and died for.

Get out and vote.

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