While no official contract has been signed, the university expects to formalize deal with the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta within days to design the next Temple University Library on North Broad Street, Assistant Vice President of Government, Community and Public Affairs Ray Betzner said.
The firm, based in Oslo, Norway, has designed projects around the world, including the the Oslo Opera House, the James B. Hunt Jr. Library at the University of North Carolina, the Bibliotheca Alexandria in Egypt and the museum pavilion at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
No design has yet been submitted for the building, which is expected to be located on North Broad Street at the current site of the Pavilion.
In March, the Board of Trustees approved a $17.5 million budget for the project’s design, and construction will be funded by $140 million from the state.
James Creedon, senior vice president for construction, facilities and management, said that the firm was selected from a pool of three candidates that were decided upon out of 30 proposals. After interviewing the three firms on August 21, a committee made up of Creedon, University Architect Margaret Carney, representatives from the Board of Trustees, the School of Architecture, the Provost’s Office and library staff, along with representatives from the state, chose to select Snøhetta for their recommendation to the state.
“They have incredible experience with libraries,” Creedon said, “they really impressed us with their ideas, and not so much with the specific idea’s of what we should do, but how they would help us reach a consensus here on what we ought to do.”
Snøhetta will partner with Stantec Consulting Services, a Philadelphia company, to design the library.
No preliminary terms to the contract have been released, including how much the university will pay the firm.
Creedon said the university will begin the first phase of the design, which is programing the university’s needs into the project, when the contract is announced. That phase will likely take place throughout the summer, Creedon said.
Author Archives: John Moritz
Temple Rome students witness Papal Conclave
Amongst the crowd gathered yesterday in St. Peter’s Square to witness the announcement of the next pope, stood several Temple students studying abroad in Rome who were able to witness the historic event first hand.
Several of these students spoke to The Temple News about their experiences, sharing tales of crying, cheering, and sheer excitement after the white smoke began pouring out of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel.
If Mike Madeja, who is spending his spring semester at Temple Rome could describe the event in one word, it would be “surreal.”
The conclave, which ended on March 13 after just two days and five rounds of voting, elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina to become Pope Francis.
The conclave was scheduled following the stunning resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 28.
Two Temple students in the square, identified only as Mike and Mark, were interviewed on national television by NBC News.
For the complete story and more student testimonies, check the print copy of The Temple News on Tuesday, March 19.
John Moritz can be reached at john.moritz@temple.edu, or on Twitter @JCMoritzTU.
TSG gears up for Owls on the Hill
Temple Student Government is preparing to hold it’s third annual Owls on the Hill day in Harrisburg on Tuesday, March 19, along with what it hopes will be a record number of student attendees and the Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs.
TSG Student Body President David Lopez said that he hopes 100 to 150 students will show up for the event, and that 268 have already registered online. Lopez said that last year, about 70 students showed up out of a registration of 158.
To increase turnout, Lopez and TSG reached out to students at the Ambler Campus, as well as recent alumni.
While in Harrisburg students will be split into groups of 10 to 15 and meet with state representatives or their staffs and share their Temple stories with the hope of encouraging state funding for the university.
To prepare for this year’s event, TSG founded the Owl Advocate Academy to train student leaders for the event. The 45 students who went through the academy this year will help lead the student groups that traverse the state capitol lobbying for higher education funds.
In February, Gov. Tom Corbett proposed to flat fund the university at $139.9 million, for the commonwealth’s 2013-14 fiscal year budget. The budget must still be passed by the State Senate and House of Representatives.
While Lopez said that the flat funding is better than the governor’s previous proposed cuts, TSG is not content with flat funding and will continue to fight for Temple’s funding.
TSG is still accepting registration for the event. Students who wish to do so can at http://www.temple.edu/government/onthehill/. Transportation and lunch are provided by TSG.
Edge contract not renewed
The university will not renew its contract with the Edge Student Village this year, in anticipation of the opening of 1,275 at Mitchell and Hilarie Morgan Hall this fall, Associate Vice President of Student Life Michael Scales said.
The university has renewed a one year contract with the building’s company Campus Living Villages every year since the Edge opened in 2006, Scales said.
The university leased roughly 750 beds from the complex, which sits one block from campus at 1601 N. 15th St.
Students will still have the opportunity to rent from the Edge, but will no longer be able to do so through the university’s Residential Life system.
Check out the full story in The Temple News on Tuesday, March 5.
Res. Life warns before storm
Univeristy Housing and Residential Life sent out a mass email to students living in Main Campus residence halls Wednesday night, warning of impending thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The email advised students living in those residence halls to close all windows to help seal out the wind and rain, minimizing water damage.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch and wind advisory for Philadelphia County for the night of Jan. 30, extending into early Thursday morning, with heavy rains and gusts of up to 50 mph.
Students in need of help are encouraged to call Campus Safety Services at 215-204-1234 or the Temple Weather Hotline at 215-204-1975.
Vice President Unruh resigns
David Unruh, the senior vice president for institutional advancement, resigned Friday in preparation for the shift of university presidency to Neil Theobald on Jan. 1, according to an email sent by the Executive Office of the President.
Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement Tilghman Moyer will take over immediately for Unruh, who has been at the university for three years.
“It is not uncommon for a new president to put his own advancement team in place,” current President Richard Englert said in the email. “[Unruh] has been a terrific colleague and a great advocate for Temple and we wish him well as he pursues new opportunities.”
The university will begin the search for a new vice president in 2013.
John Moritz can be reached at john.moritz@temple.edu or on Twitter @JCMoritzTU.
Students vote for local politicians during presidential race
In the midst of a presidential election that drew many students outside of the classroom and into the voting booths today, Nov. 6th, many local politicians are running on the same ballot as Mitt Romney and Barack Obama for a chance to represent those in the North Philadelphia community.
For those registered to vote in and around Main Campus, there are several other offices up for election.
For U.S. Senate, Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Casey Jr. is running against Republican Tom Smith and Libertarian Rayburn Douglas Smith.
For U.S. Congress, two districts split Main Campus, the 1st Congressional District lies East of Broad Street, where Democratic incumbent Congressman Robert Brady is battling Republican John Featherman. In the 2nd Congressional District west of Broad Street, Democratic incumbent Chaka Fattah is running against Republican Robert Mansfield Jr. and James Foster, an independent.
On the state level, the position of Auditor General is up for grabs between Democrat Eugene A. DePasquale, Republican John Maher and Libertarian Betsy Elizabeth Summers. For State Treasurer, Democrat Robert M. McCord is up for re-election against Republican Diana Irey Vaughan and Libertarian Patricia M. Fryman. For Pennsylvania Attorney General, Democrat Kathleen G. Kane is running against Republican David J. Freed and Libertarian Marakay J. Rogers.
In the 3rd Senate District in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, which encompasses Main Campus and the surrounding North Philadelphia community, Democratic State Senator Shirley Kitchen is running unopposed. Most of Main Campus and the surrounding student community west of Broad Street find themselves within the General Assembly’s 181st Congressional District, where Democratic Representative W. Curtis Thomas is also running unopposed. Some students living north of Susquehanna Avenue between 17th and North Broad streets will find themselves in the Assembly’s 197th District, where Democrat Jose Miranda is running against Republican Steve Crum.
All voters have the option of voting for one, all, or some of the elected positions on the ballot. There is also an option to vote a straight party line, or to vote for no candidate for any office.
“I’ll be honest, I’m not very informed on that subject, I should be, but I’m not,” Charles Brown, a junior journalism major, said. “I voted among party lines.”
Fiona Allen, a sophomore communications studies major, said that while she voted for all local candidate positions, she knew less about them than she did the presidential race.
“I’m not extremely informed on local candidates at all, I was extremely concerned about with presidential election,” Allen said. “I did do a little bit of research, but it is hard because everyone is so hyped about the presidential elections.”
For information about how to find your voting place, visit votespa.com.
John Moritz can be reached at john.moritz@temple.edu or on Twitter @JCMoritzTU.
Temple closes classes
Temple will close all classes and activities Monday and Tuesday, according to a TU Alert sent out at 1:52 p.m. Sunday.
Dining Services will remain open, but all campuses will be closed. Essential personnel were advised to report as necessary.
Stay tuned to The Temple News for information on closures and Hurricane Sandy.
Mayor Nutter declares state of emergency
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has issued a state of emergency for the city, beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday, and lasting until at least 5 p.m. Tuesday, due to severe weather conditions caused by Hurricane Sandy.
In a press conference Saturday, Nutter issued a simple message to Philadelphia residents, “have a plan, be prepared, and then be prepared to take action.” The mayor added “we are encouraging residents in this city to please stay inside during the height of this storm.”
Nutter said that three emergency shelters would be open in the city at West Philadelphia High School, Roxburough High School, and Samuel Fels High School. The closest shelter to Temple is Fels High School located 6.4 miles away at 5500 Langdon St.
Nutter warned that the storm could cause extensive power outages, as well as flash flooding in certain areas of the city. The city will place robo-calls to residents of the East Germantown area of the city, warning them of the hazards of flash flooding.
Nutter said the city had not closed off any streets, but may do so in response to rising flood waters.
Temple has not cancelled any classes as of Saturday, however officials said they will monitor the weather and remain in talks about canceling classes.
Hurricane Sandy is the first hurricane to reach the East Coast this season. She is expected to make landfall on the Delaware or southern New Jersey shore late Monday or early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, which as issued a flood and coastal flood watches along with a high wind watch for Philadelphia County.
John Moritz can be reached at john.moritz@temple.edu or on Twitter @JCMoritzTU.
Campus prepares for Hurricane Sandy
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Philadelphia and surrounding counties in the Delaware Valley region in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, which is projected to make landfall in the Chesapeake Bay area early next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Reports from the NHC said that while Sandy weakened slightly over the Bahamas, the storm still has a maximum sustained wind speed of 75 mph, and is moving up the coast at 7 mph.
Beginning on Monday, the National Weather Service predicts tropical storm conditions in Philadelphia, continuing until Tuesday with rain lingering into Wednesday evening. Heavy snow fall is also predicted for more inland areas of the East Coast.
Deputy Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that the university has been working to prepare for the storm by cleaning sewers and drainage pipes, securing trash can lids, going over emergency procedures and keeping up to date on the forecast.
Leone also said that while the university is taking steps to ensure a safety, students, especially those living off-campus, need to use the weekend to make sure they are stocked up with proper emergency equipment such as food, water, and batteries, as well as keeping track of the weather reports.
“Keep in mind what would happen if your power were to go out, would you have enough things to sustain you?,” Leone said.
Leone said that CSS will continue to look at weather reports and talk with university officials into next week regarding class and program closures, as well as the use of the TU Alert system.
Students and faculty can contact Temple Emergency Preparedness and Continuity Planning at tuready@temple.edu. Additionally, those in need of help can call CSS at 215-204-1234 or call 911.
The Temple News will continue to monitor and report on the latest campus news regarding Hurricane Sandy.
John Moritz can be reached at john.moritz@temple.edu or on Twitter @JCMoritzTU.
