From Students:
I’m a returning student to Temple University. I’ve been away from campus for three years now, and that doesn’t bother me. Why? I’ve been able to keep up with the happenings at TU with the help of The Temple News. I receive the online edition in my e-mail twice a week, and from it I feel that I’ve been able to still be a part of the Temple community. After I’ve finished college, I’d like to be able to continue to receive The Temple News at least twice a week, so that when I get that letter asking for an alumni donation, I’ll be able to say where I want my money to go. Knowing what’s going on around campus is important to me. The outcome of this “extracurricular activity” is that part-time students and commuters such as myself still feel to connected to this University. Even my friends who live on-campus grab up copies as soon as they come out. This is a well-done publication, and it would be a shame to lose half of the news-worthy articles that are produced.
Jessica C. Henzel
Senior, English and Religion
I am writing because I want to support The Temple News. The writers and editors do an extraordinary job with their columns and articles, I don’t understand why the administration would want to cut back to one paper a week. The Temple News is one of the only ways students get to hear what’s going on in their Temple communities by their fellow peers. I say it should remain at two releases a week and I won’t have it any other way. I wish Temple News the best!
Veronica Raugitinane
Senior, Kinesiology
I’d like to offer my support to The Temple News. The University should not cut the paper’s line of credit, effectively forcing it to halve its production. The Temple News performs valuable services: it allows journalism students a place to hone their skills and strengthen their resumes; it gives students and faculty a source for Temple-related information; and it serves as a venue for exchanging and examining ideas.
Anastasia Hudgins
Ph.D. Candidate, Anthropology
Adjunct Professor, Women’s Studies.
From Alumni:
I was dismayed to read about your cutback and the reasons for it. In the fall semester of 1974, I served as editor in chief of The Temple News. We published five days a week! It was grueling, but fun.
It was great training for my current job. I still work in newspapers and it was The Temple News that gave me the contacts and training that I needed to get the jobs and handle the work. Working at the News also provided a valuable lesson in time management, handling my regular course work and my 40 hours or more at The Temple News.
It’s a disgrace that Temple, which prides itself on its journalism department, would allow its student paper to be so crippled. The paper should be subsidized by the school. In fact, when the alumni folks send me pitches for money, I always designate my dollars to go to The Temple News student paper.
The Temple News has been very important in my life. My husband and I met at the paper and we still are friends with our college colleagues, some of whom I see here at the Inquirer.
Good luck. I hope you prevail.
Jane M. Von Bergen
Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
I’m saddened to read in The Temple News that the newspaper will be publishing only once a week, again. The addition of another day’s paper already has paid off – better coverage, timelier articles, more buzz on campus about the university. If The Temple News is making its projected revenues to pay for the second weekly edition, the University would do well to support the staff’s commitment to do more – not less – and its dedication to enhance the college experience of all Temple students through journalism that works.
Howard Shapiro
Adjunct professor, Journalism
Temple News Editor, 1969
As a Temple journalism graduate (1984) and former Temple News editor (Spring, 1984), it pains me to learn that Temple cares so little about practical journalism education that it cannot fund a student-run daily newspaper.
A journalism program without a daily student newspaper is a not a competitive program. It’s a joke.
Once, Temple had a daily student newspaper that could stand up to any in the country. After I left Temple, I was the news advisor for Penn State’s Daily Collegian – a student daily with a much bigger budget and a full-time staff and its own training program. I marveled often at how much, in retrospect, The Temple News had done with so much less. But I was never ashamed to tell people I had graduated from Temple or edited The Temple News.
You can teach your hearts out in a classroom. You can hire the best professors in the business. But if your students aren’t getting real-life experience their journalism education isn’t going to get them a job.
Temple wants to play in the big leagues, but it won’t put its money where it ought to be. Keep that losing football team on the field, but throw your journalism program out the window. Way to go.
Jackie Ward
B.A. Journalism, Class of 1984
As a former editor in chief (Fall 1984) of The Temple News, I am appalled at Temple’s decision to block The Temple News from publishing twice a week.
While most of my contact with Temple these days is through the alumni magazine (where I lie about my success) and the pleading voice of an underpaid student who tries to get me to unsuccessfully to open my wallet (and I lie about my success again), I do like to check out The Temple News every now and then. My major gripe: It doesn’t publish four days a week, just once.
Lord knows Temple has enough campus crime, bad football, decent basketball, great lunch trucks, scary subways, bad parking, long-winded professors, right-wing loonies, left-wing loonies, religious nuts and other potential news sources to fill up the pages.
Let these students do what they went to Temple for: Drink beer, work long hours for little pay, and scam free concert tickets under the guise of reviewing the show and generally make administrators look bad with their stories.
That’s their job. It’s called journalism. Let them do it. Let them go twice a week. Make it four times a week and I may even send Temple a check.
But I doubt it.
Vince Piscopo
B.A. Journalism, Class of 1984
Temple News Editor, Fall 1984
Aloha, I am an alumnus who is currently residing in Kailua, Hawaii. I find it appalling and downright dishonest for the school not to allow the paper to use its own revenues. I receive the paper electronically and look forward to each edition.
I am even willing to become an advertiser, but only if the revenue will be used for the paper.
As always, keep me informed.
Geralyn St. Joseph
Communications, Class of 1990
From Faculty:
I am saddened but not surprised at the administration’s unwillingness to provide the expected funds that would allow you to continue publishing twice a week. The Temple News has consistently provided independent and critical assessment about a wide range of University activities that I have come to appreciate and respect. Shame on the administration for pulling the plug on expected funding, probably because someone was unhappy about articles critical of their actions (or their salaries and increases?).
I hope this action by the administration does not dampen your enthusiasm for pursuing stories about the running of this university, wherever they might lead. Keep up the good work!
Anthony J. Ranere
Professor, Anthropology
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