School of Medicine named second best in Philadelphia

The School of Medicine was ranked the 51st best research medical school in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report. Temple’s rank was second of all medical schools in Philadelphia behind the University of Pennsylvania, which ranked fourth.

In 2012, Temple received nearly $94 million in National Institutes of Health grants, according to the university.

Check back with The Temple News Tuesday, March 26, for a full recap of the School of Medicine’s U.S. News and World Report Ranking.

Police looking for three suspects in cell phone robbery last month

Philadelphia Police are investigating a cell phone theft took place on Oct. 9, at 9:10 a.m., on the 1700 block of Diamond Street.

The victim was walking along the block when three males allegedly snuck up behind the victim and snatched the cell phone from his possession. The victim chased the offenders for several blocks before stopping his pursuit around 18th and French streets. Video surveillance has also caught two males believed to be the suspects.

The first suspect is said to be a black male who is 20 to 30 years old, has a mustache, and was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect is described as a black male in dark clothing. No description was provided for the third suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Central Detective Division at 215-686-3093.

-Cindy Stansbury

TTN not spared by Sandy

Even as Temple was largely spared by Hurricane Sandy’s wrath, it didn’t keep this TTN crime reporter’s car from being damaged.

Sandy didn’t go unnoticed to this TTN crime reporter’s car | ALI WATKINS TTN

After moving my car from tree-lined streets in Sandy preparation, I heard the guttural boom and subsequent shatter, and I knew before I even looked out my window. Sandy hurled a concrete block on to my roof, hitting at just the right angle to smash through the top of the door and shatter the back window.

On a street full of cars, this little Saturn Coupe is the only one that bears scars from Frankenstorm.

-Ali Watkins

SEPTA makes preliminary plan to restore some services Tuesday afternoon

SEPTA may restore limited service tomorrow, Oct. 30, pending the outcome of an assessment of its facilities, equipment and infrastructure in the early morning.

The transportation authority released a press release today, Oct. 29, indicating its hope of reimplementing some service Tuesday. The Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines would resume first, followed by bus and trolley services, the statement reads.

SEPTA temporarily shut its services down at 12:30 a.m. this morning, in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.

“Other modes of service – Regional Rail, Norristown High Speed Line and Route 101 and 102 Trolleys – which operate in areas prone to flooding and track obstructions, may be slower to return to service,” the statement states.

Based on Amtrak’s notification that its Northeast Corridor service will be disrupted until Wednesday, Oct. 31, the release notes, some Regional Rail Lines will be suspended until further notice. Those lines include: Paoli/ Thorndale Line, Airport Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Wilmington/Newark Line, Cynwyd Line, and Trenton Line.

SEPTA also said that it is unlikely the Norristown/Manayunk Line will operate tomorrow.

The authority’s review of its services will take approximately 6 hours and be done with the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

Continue to check Broad & Cecil and temple-news.com for Temple-related coverage of the hurricane.

As Sandy approaches, TTN delays print edition

The Temple News will print its weekly print edition Thursday, Nov. 1.

The paper is delaying the release of the paper two days, ensuring the safety of its staff members until Hurricane Sandy passes.

The university announced yesterday, Oct. 28, that campus buildings would close in preparation for the hurricane dubbed “Frankenstorm.”

In the meantime, TTN encourages those in the Temple community to submit photos of storm damage or news updates from the area to the paper, for redistribution on temple-news.com or in its print edition.

Have something you’d like to share, or for us to look into? Comment below or email editor@temple-news.com.

Continue to check Broad & Cecil and temple-news.com, or follow us on Twitter @TheTempleNews for Temple-related coverage of the hurricane.

The Temple News recieves interesting letters

A crate of mail arrived at The Temple News office this afternoon. While this is normally a very uneventful occurance, today’s batch of mail included the following:

-An unsigned letter in which the author calls Americans “totally stupid people who elect moronic criminals.” The author, who TTN assumes is Russian, describes his uncle who “died a wealthy man” from reporting people to the Cheka (The now-defunct Soviet Union equivalent of the CIA) as “subversives.” Americans will be meeting this same fate of the people his uncle reported in six years if they keep being stupid, the author said.

-Not one, but two identical letters from the same author imploring TTN to investigate the events behind 9/11.

-A flyer for a student cartoon contest. The contest’s theme: 9/11.

-A letter from a Craig White, who said he used to preach “the Word of God” in front of Temple’s student activities center from 1993 to 2003. He is currently serving time in a correctional facility in Cresson, Pa. where he writes that his civil rights are being violated because he is unable to get out of prison on parole.  His crime, in his words, was “my choice to commit at deviant offense against a teenager.” A quick glance at his court docket shows he was convicted of soliciting prostitution and attempting to lure a child into a motor vehicle in 2004.

-A lengthy and comprehensive two-part letter from a Curtis Thomas in which he addresses the following:

  • He wishes to become columnist for TTN with the title “Truthful Slave Narratives.” 975 percent of what he writes will be true, said. He intends to write about life at the “Slave Plantation at Greene” which, judging from the address Thomas provided, is a correctional facility in Waynesburg, Pa. His fee is $500 an article.
  • He said he never committed any crimes although he admitted he was convicted of assault and battery in 1976 when “a cat” tried to steal his leg brace while he was washing his leg.
  • He was kidnapped at gunpoint in 1974. He has since spent his life in Pa. prisons.
  • Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett and his wife received two puppies upon becoming governor and held a statewide contest to name them. “F––– both them damn dogs!!!” he said.
  • He recommends the movie “Matilda.” “Get the DVD,” he said.
  • He referenced a scene in “Matilda” where she rides a red wagon to the library. He too had a wagon, except his had wooden slats on the side to carry stuff. One day in 1964, he was playing with his wagon when two men pushed him in his wagon into traffic on the 1400 block of South Street. He was hit by a motor vehicle.
  • He solicited the help of his friend and former South Philly politician Vince Fumo to try and get him out of prison. Fumo has yet to respond to his requests for aid.
  • His lawyer is a racist.
  • All he requests of his “enslavers” is a new leg brace, a cane and pair of blue dungaree pants.
  • He has solicited his column services to other newspapers in order to earn money to get the three aforementioned items.

While The Temple News would love to assist Mr. Thomas in his quest for blue dungaree pants, he is not a Temple student and thus is ineligible to become a columnist. His fee is also a little steep.

The Temple News will investigate all claims brought to our attention.

A sampling of some of the letters mentioned in this post.

Low state revenues leave Temple facing another budget cut

Due to a projected revenue shortfall of $486.8 million, Gov. Tom Corbett announced in a press release Tuesday that Temple—along with the other three state-related universities—will face a five percent funding cut for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

The $25.7 million reduction in state funding comes after a year in which the four state-related universities saw their state appropriation cut by 19 percent.

The cuts are part of a plan to reduce spending across the board in order to make up for the revenue shortfall.  In addition to the state-related universities, Corbett ordered state agencies to curb spending by three percent and in some cases as much as ten percent.

For more on this, pick up The Temple News when it returns to newsstands on Jan. 17.

-Sean Carlin

Temple’s defense looks to key in on Cowboy QB

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Less than 24 hours before the football teams concludes its season against Wyoming in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, the Owls said they are more prepared for postseason play than they were two years ago when they played the UCLA Bruins in the EagleBank Bowl.

“We’re doing a lot more than what we did last time and we’re basically living in the film room right now and we’re committed to playing a great game,” senior linebacker Tahir Whitehead said. “Two years ago was the first time we went to a bowl game in a long time and this year we know how to whether the storm and manage bowl games with practice and get ready for the game.”

Senior linebacker Tahir Whitehead KATE MCCANN TTN

For Whitehead and the rest of the Owls’ defense, the majority of that time spent in the film room has been focused on Cowboys’ freshman quarterback Brett Smith. Smith is a two-way threat for the Cowboys as he averaged 250 passing yards and 50 rushing yards a game.

“I would say he’s similar to [Ohio sophomore quarterback Tyler Tettleton], he’s young but it seems like he knows what he’s doing, he has really good lineman that can really get after our defensive line,” senior defensive end Adrian Robinson said.

Wyoming employs a spread attack that averages nearly 400 yards a game of total and boasts an offensive line that is very stingy when it comes giving up sacks and this season, the Cowboys average less than one sack a game.

“They keep you on your toes, they can come at you in any way possible, they spread you out and they get all their receivers involved the passing game, they use screens, draws and the quarterback runs,” Whitehead said. “It’s going to be a tough game and we have to be locked in and ready to go.”

The Owls will look to win their first bowl game since 1979 tomorrow at 2 p.m.

“A win tomorrow would mean a lot, in the past couple of years, we haven’t finished the season the way we wanted to and a win would change that all around for us because it would send the younger guys into the next season with a good feeling, that’s all it about.” Whitehead said.

“This is a big game for us, this is like our championship, we want our legacy to be that we won our last game,” Robinson said.

Senior defensive end Adrian Robinson KATE MCCANN TTN


Myron Myles dismissed from football team

Redshirt-sophomore running back Myron Myles is no longer an Owl after reportedly getting dismissed from the football team last week after in a verbal altercation with an assistant coach, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last spring, Myles had a breakout performance in the team’s annual Cherry and White game in which he scored three touchdowns, but it did not translate to playing time in the regular season. Myles did not record a single carry this season.

Adam DiMichele signs with the Philadelphia Soul

Former Temple quarterback Adam DiMichele is returning to Philly after signing with the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League today.

After his final season with the Owls in 2008, DiMichelle bounced around from preseason appearances with the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football league to playing on the Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. Last year, DiMichele was the MVP of the Southern Indoor Football League, where he threw 91 touchdown passes as a member of the Erie Explosion.

Fun Fact: The Explosion played 13 games in the 2011 season, meaning DiMichele averaged seven passing touchdowns per game.