Monthly Archives: October 2014

TSG discusses library and related programs at weekly meeting

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The Temple Student Government general assembly convened in the Student Center on Monday afternoon to discuss additions to academic resources on Main Campus.

Steven Bell, an associate university librarian, discussed the new library that is scheduled to open in 2018.

“I do see that it can be a challenge for students to find good study space [and] good computing space,” Bell said. “We lack many of the amenities that allow students to be successful in the 21st century.”

Bell also mentioned the Alternative Textbook Project, which provides grants to 10 faculty members per semester to replace textbooks with alternative material for their courses. The goal is to save students money on textbooks.

“The amount of open material is increasing and [there is] leverage in library content and other open material,” Bell said.

Bell also emphasized the current resources the Paley Library offers such as one-on-one research assistance from librarians and the reservation system for study rooms.

“The library is not just books on shelves and chairs to study in,” Bell said.

The Paley Library will have a gaming room on the third floor, which is in coordination with the gaming club at Temple.

A Digital Scholarship Program System will also be available on Paley’s lower level in the Spring 2015 semester.

“[The system] is an intersection of computerization and humanities,” Bell said. “It teaches undergraduates how to do research in humanities and the social sciences.”

Trustees will vote on the design of the new library next month.

Bell also discussed a quad to be built near the Bell Tower after the demolition of Barton and Beury halls. He said that all the academic services will be around the one quad space.

“I think the design will be amazing for our campus,” Bell said. “I believe there will be nothing else quite like it.”

The TUnity release event will be at 7 p.m. tonight at the Bell Tower. Students will be able to endorse the statement with the laptops and iPads that will be provided.

The Student Organization of the Week was Delta Phi Epsilon. The sorority raised around $16,000 through the fundraiser D for Dude, which benefitted the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

Temple student robbed in Progress Plaza parking lot

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UPDATE: Per a TU Alert issued around 9:50 p.m. Friday, Philadelphia police had arrested three females in connection with the robberies.

Temple and Philadelphia police searched this evening for two suspects in connection with the robbery of a female Temple student around 4 p.m. today in the parking lot of Progress Plaza on the corner of Broad and Oxford streets.

Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services, said in an email that the two suspects, armed with a box cutter, approached the student and fled with her bag, which contained an iPad and $300. The student was not injured.

The entire incident happened in about 15 seconds and was captured by security cameras, Leone said. Temple Police have reviewed the footage and confirmed that the suspects were the same people from yesterday’s attempted robberies, he said.

Around 4 p.m. yesterday, a female described by police as around 18 years old and 5 feet 3 inches tall struggled for a bag with a female around 20-24 years old before slicing her arm and forehead with a box cutter.

The attempted robbery occurred in the 1400 block of Diamond Street and was followed by another on the 1500 block of North Broad Street. The victim from the Diamond Street incident, who is not affiliated with Temple, was sent to Hahnemann University Hospital and was not seriously injured.

Leone said the suspects in both Thursday and Friday’s incidents drove a 2005 white Buick LaCrosse with a sunroof and the license plate number JRH-9730.

According to a TU Alert which was sent out about today’s incident shortly before 4:30 p.m., the suspects fled west on Oxford Street in that car.

After today’s robbery, Temple Police sent a description of the suspects and their vehicle city-wide through the Philadelphia Police communication center, Leone said. Temple and Philadelphia police are currently collaborating to arrest the suspects.

Bystanders in the area said they were not aware of the robbery.

A security guard at Fresh Grocer who wished to remain anonymous also said he was unaware of the robbery.

“If there’s two armed robberies in the area, I don’t understand why it’s not on the news, or why there isn’t more security around here,” he said.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @LIan_Parsons.

Two female suspects sought in two attempted robberies, stabbing

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Temple and Philadelphia police are looking for two suspects for two attempted robberies which happened around 4 p.m Wednesday, one on the 1400 block of Diamond Street and the other on the 1500 block of Broad Street.

Witnesses on the 1400 block of Diamond Street said a suspect – described as a female about 18 years old and 5 feet 3 inches tall – struggled for a bag with a female around 20-24 years old before the suspect sliced her with a utility box cutter, injuring the victim’s arm and forehead.

Police said another suspect drove a vehicle but did not leave it, and no description was offered. The alleged victim is not affiliated with Temple.

More people who were at the scene of the Diamond Street incident said they arrived after hearing a scream. Witnesses stopped and crowded around the alleged victim, using towels and compression to prevent her bleeding as she sat on the front steps of a building.

Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services, said in an email that the two suspects drove a 2005 white Buick LaCrosse with a sunroof. Prior to the first attempted robbery they arrived at 7-Eleven at Broad and Diamond streets and went inside for a short time, then traveled west on Diamond Street to the site of the first incident, he said.

Leone said the suspects returned to their vehicle after the first robbery attempt and drove south on 15th Street from Diamond Street.

A police officer arrived at the site of the Diamond Street incident by 3:55 p.m. and an ambulance arrived by 4:02 p.m. The victim was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital, but was not seriously injured.

Two TU Alerts were sent out, the first at about 4:50 p.m. describing the Diamond Street robbery attempt and noting two suspects and the description of the vehicle. The second, sent around 6 p.m., noted the Broad Street robbery and had the same description of the two suspects.

Leone said Temple Police officers had stopped one car fitting the description in the alert, but it was not the suspects.

Temple and Philadelphia police are reviewing security footage, as well as footage from 7-Eleven, Leone said. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 911.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

TSG discusses new library

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Temple Student Government hosted committee meetings at its general assembly meeting Monday afternoon in the Student Center.

The Student Affairs committee discussed the new library that will be opening in Fall 2018. For this project, Barton and Beury halls will be deconstructed, beginning with Beury this summer.  Barton Hall will become the new library and Beury Hall will become green space as an extension of Beury Beach.

Classes located in Barton and Beury halls are relocating to the new SERC building.

Sally Abbas, committee director for student affairs, asked students at the meeting for potential ideas or improvements for the new library. Students made suggestions that included having a “quiet zone,” investing in inviting decor and cozy furniture, having more printers and electrical outlets for laptops, opening a cafe in the building and having 24-hour availability.

Abbas said the Paley Library building will still be used, but instead of being a library, it may become additional classroom space.

Erika Firestone, director of grounds and sustainability, outlined the upcoming activities for Campus Sustainability Week, which is this week. Upcoming events include a presentation by Community Energy, the company that installed solar panels at the Edberg-Olson practice facility.

The Student Organization of the Week was Her Campus Temple, which ran an all-male pageant for the title of “Mr. Temple.”

A preliminary version of the TUnity Statement, which is about diversity and inclusion of all students regardless of their characteristics, has been on TSG’s website for about two weeks, Jalen Blot, director of campus life and diversity, said.  Blot said this Friday he will conduct a final review of the statement before its launch event on Oct. 28.

Another upcoming TSG event is the “Adopt-a-Block” Day this Saturday.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

Two Temple students robbed at gunpoint, tied up

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Six people, some of whom are Temple students, were tied up and robbed at gunpoint in their home on 18th Street near Berks Street Sunday night, according to multiple news reports.

A TU Alert was sent out around 8:50 p.m. which noted two suspects, both African-American males. One had facial hair and was wearing a Bucks County Community College sweatshirt. The alert advised students to avoid the area.

The suspects allegedly took the students’ laptops and other electronics, according to NBC 10, who also reported that the students were not injured in the robbery.

CBS 3 reported that one of the students was beat with a gun.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@temple.edu or on Twitter @JBrandt_TU.

Brick assault defendant pleads guilty

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UPDATE: Estes’ sentencing was rescheduled to Jan. 14, according to court documents.

Zaria Estes, the 15-year-old girl responsible for attacking a Temple student with a brick in March, pled guilty to aggravated assault, conspiracy and possession of an instrument of crime on Tuesday morning, as was first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News.

The state is dropping three additional charges: making terroristic threats, simple assault, and reckless endangerment of another person.

According to Estes’ court docket, bail was set at $100,000 on April 18. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison for the lead charge of aggravated assault.

Estes was part of a group of girls who attacked four Temple students during a half-hour span on March 21. The brick incident happened in the 1700 block of Norris Street, and the victim needed oral surgery and suffered a mild concussion.

Two other girls involved were initially charged as adults, but the adult charges were later dropped after court proceedings.

Estes will be sentenced on Dec. 17.  The information for the case was initially filed on April 17.

Body found in N.Y. believed to be Miles Applebaum, missing student

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Facebook.com |COURTESY

Police believe a body found in New York is that of 21-year-old Miles Applebaum, a missing Temple student.

The body was found in Glazier Preserve in New Castle, New York around 6 p.m. Thursday, New Castle Police said. They are awaiting autopsy reports from the Westchester County Medical Examiner to confirm speculation before releasing any additional information.

Applebaum, a junior jazz studies major, was reported missing from his North Castle, New York home on Monday. His car was found in the Glazier Preserve parking lot around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, police said.

Applebaum also took a leave of absence this semester, university communications confirmed.

Edward Applebaum, Miles’ father, told The Huffington Post earlier this week that his son suffers from severe depression and is suicidal.

“Our horrible fear is that we’ll never find him again,” Edward Applebaum told the publication.

Controversial evangelists draw crowd at Bell Tower

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A group of six evangelical self-titled Christian missionaries arrived on campus around 11 this morning. Stationed at the Bell Tower, they spoke about their beliefs to a growing crowd of students.

The men were from different churches around the country, including Poquoson Baptist Church in Poquoson, Virginia and Lighthouse Bible Fellowship in Fremont, California. They were organized by Robert Parker of Christians from Bread of Life Fellowship in New Jersey.

“We travel to college campuses because we want to make [the Gospel] known to this current generation,” Virginia retiree Don Karns said. Karns also said the “cross-country evangelism” is performed by independent born-again Christians across the US, organized via Facebook groups.

At its peak, there were approximately 100 people gathered around the Bell Tower. Most in the crowd were students, with some faculty members interspersed.

Temple Police also arrived to monitor the situation.

The evangelists and students engaged in heated discourse about topics like evolution, premarital sex and same-sex marriage. There was no physical violence but several students came close to the evangelists and several of them were shouting.

Students held up handwritten signs saying, “On behalf of the Christian people, I apologize” and “Coexist” to counter the evangelists’ “Evolution is a lie” posters.

“It’s a complete waste of time on both sides,” Eddie Ntuk, a junior biology major said. “People are just spitting opinions. They come close-minded.”

Several students spoke individually with the evangelists. Other students gathered into smaller discussion groups. The evangelists visit Temple approximately two times a year.

Temple Fest incident settled with numerous penalties

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Abdel Aziz Jalil, the student who was accused of striking senior management information systems major and Jewish student Daniel Vessal at Temple Fest in August, was admitted into a six month Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, among other penalties today.

The Commonwealth-run ARD program is intended to help first offenders who are charged with minor crimes. Aziz Jalil was also given 10 hours of community service, included in anger management counseling and required to pay numerous fees.

Aziz Jalil was charged with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. Despite accusations of the incident being driven by anti-Semitic views, Aziz Jalil was not charged with a hate crime.

The Commonwealth proposed the penalties today in a Municipal Court status hearing, which Aziz Jalil attended with his defense attorney, Raymond C. Geary. The judge overseeing the hearing, Nazario Jimenez Jr., accepted the agreement between the parties and urged Aziz Jalil to complete the program and “stay out of trouble.”

Geary said that Aziz Jalil has already given Vessal a formal letter of apology and the two will shake hands at Geary’s office at a later date.

Aziz Jalil is still listed as a student in the university’s directory.

If Aziz Jalil completes all of the required programs, the Commonwealth will expunge the incident from his record as part of the agreement.

Marcus McCarthy can be reached at marcus.mccarthy@temple.edu or on Twitter @marcusmccarthy6.