TINA FEY ANNOUNCES SMC SCHOLARSHIP
Actress Tina Fey, best known for “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live” promoted the Donald Fey Memorial Scholarship on the “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.” The scholarship, established by Tina and her brother, Peter Fey, is in honor of her father, Donald Fey, who died Oct. 18, 2015.
The scholarship is specifically for military veterans applying to the journalism department, as a tribute to Donald’s service in the Korean War. Donald Fey was a 1966 alumnus of the School of Media and Communication.
According to Philadelphia Business Journal, Temple did not disclose how much money Tina Fey donated to the scholarship, but there is nearly $100,000 donated so far.
Neither of the Fey siblings are part of the scholarship recipient selection committee, according to Philadelphia Business Journal. It is also unclear how many recipients will receive the scholarship, but Temple could potentially award $4,000 this fall if a student who fits the criteria is identified.
-Lian Parsons
APPLICATION RATES HIGHEST EVER
More than 32,000 applications have been recieved for the next calendar year at Temple, breaking last year’s record.
According to a university press release, 32,655 students applied to the university as of Feb, 24. Last year, 30,043 applied. The deadline for applications was March 1.
William Black, senior vice provost for enrollment management, said in a Temple Now interview, the rise in applications is occuring at nearly every school and college at the university, and that the new class is the strongest academically in Temple’s history.
“Our academic reputation is soaring, and people everywhere are starting to take notice,” Karin Mormando, director of undergraduate admissions, said in the release.
Factors contributing to growth include the Temple Option, which allows applicants to apply without submitting standardized test scores. Another is improvements to Main Campus, including Visualize Temple and Verdant Temple, the university’s campus and landscape plans, respectively.
The number of minority applicants is also up at the university. African-Americans’ applications have increased by more than 9 percent since last year, and applications from Latinos about 30 percent.
-Steve Bohnel
HOME DEPOT TO HIRE 1,5000 RESIDENTS
The Home Depot has released plans to hire 1,500 people in the Philadelphia area and 80,000 people nationwide in preparation for the home improvement store’s busiest season of spring. Both full-time, seasonal and part-time positions are available.
Opening opportunities include sales, operations and cashier positions. All applications can be filled out online on The Home Depot’s official website.
Associates are offered tuition assistance, 401k plans and other incentives during their employment. The tuition assistance program has granted associates more than $124 million during the past 10 years.
The Home Depot’s nearest stores include one in Port Richmond, Crescentville and South Philadelphia.
-Gillian McGoldrick
SCHOOL OPENS NEW RESOURCE CENTER
Thomas Pierce Elementary School in North Philadelphia received a $225,000 grant to provide technology and resources to parents in the community, Newsworks reported.
The grant, from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, will last three years and create a space in a previously empty room in the school building. Parents will be able to access information on how to get involved in their children’s education, instruct their children in reading and math, enroll their children in high school and give resources that will help parents fill out job applications.
Parent Power, an advocacy group headed by Sylvia Simms, who serves on the School Reform Commission, has opened other centers like the one at Thomas Pierce Elementary School in nearby schools.
The school district hopes to open technology and resource centers in all of its schools, Superintendent William Hite told Newsworks.
-Julie Christie
City fighting pension crisis
City Controller Alan Butkovitz is trying to fight the city’s underfunded pension crisis by buying out more than 30,000 pensioners.
The Inquirer reported Butkovitz is attempting to offer up-front cash payments to city retirees in order for them to surrender their pensions.
“There’s a persistent concern in the city about getting control of pension costs and a lot of things have been tried that were nibbling around the edges,” Butkovitz told the Inquirer.
City Council would need to approve any buyout.
-Steve Bohnel
