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MURL: A look at Fishtown gentrification December 9, 2008

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Fishtown has quickly become one of the most gentrified neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Through these two video packages and one interview clip, the Fishtown MURL team checks out the old-timers’ views of the “yuppies” moving in. Even Philebrity got in on the action (and to defend myself — 1) It is my own blazer, and 2) No one claimed this was breaking news).

Some Fishtown lifers don’t seem to mind the incoming younger generation.

Ed Herron has lived in Fishtown his entire life. He’s not going anywhere any time soon.

An excerpt from Herron’s interview about the rising cost of a bottle of beer.

MURL: High cost of heating November 13, 2008

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Chris Stover
MURL

Heating prices in Philadelphia have risen 77 percent in five years, causing many to cut back. Some Fishtowners are feeling the pinch.

MURL: Fishtown businesses unite November 6, 2008

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Chris Stover
MURL

The Fishtown Area Business Association gives local businesses the opportunity to express concerns and ideas about the local economy.

For Philadelphia, championship is a long time coming November 4, 2008

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Original post from The Temple News.

CHRIS STOVER
Editor in Chief

All in good time, the saying goes.

Prior to the World Series win, The Temple News got nostalgic and pulled out issues chronicling other Phillies victories in 1980 and 1993, which you can see on Page P6.

Now, as students in Philadelphia, we’ve become immersed in Phillies Phever and can add this special issue to TTN archives for the Phils’ next win.

From the consistent fan base to those jumping on the bandwagon, it’s no secret that Philadelphia is excited. And rightfully so.

“Sports have a unique emotional component that resonates with people,” said sports and recreation management professor Aubrey Kent. “Many times, the attachment to a local team goes beyond a mere rooting interest, to become something that is embedded in a persons’ identity.”

So it’s safe to say Phillies fans have emotionally suffered for 28 years without a win in the Fall Classic. Philly sports fans as a whole haven’t had a major championship title since the 76ers in 1983. For many Temple students, this is the first major Philadelphia sports title they’ve seen.

Attending school in Philadelphia grants a sense of entitlement to adopt the hometown sports team as your own.

“The biggest benefit, though, is the intangible effect that we call ‘psychic income,’” said Kent’s colleague, professor Jeremy Jordan. “This is the feeling of goodwill generated in the community by banding together to support a common cause, and the pride and joy that is felt when the team is successful.”

Just as they did in 1980, 1983 and 1993, fans displayed their unity in the streets of Philadelphia, from Citizens Bank Park to City Hall and Main Campus to the Northeast.

“Rooting for the Phillies is different, in a way, than being a Phillies fan, the latter of which implies membership in a group that has great meaning for someone,” Jordan said. “The team then becomes an extension of ourselves, a source of vicarious achievement and pride.”

Philadelphians aren’t scared to show pride, either. When the Phillies reached the milestone of becoming the first professional sports franchise to reach 10,000 losses, both the team and the city took it in stride.
“I try to concentrate on wins,” manager Charlie Manuel said at the time. “[Ten thousand losses is] something we haven’t really talked about. Our players don’t talk about it. … I don’t really care about that, really. I’m serious.”

For many Philadelphians, it was a celebration long overdue. For others, it was the first of its kind. And for a small few, it was an excuse to destroy public and private property.

Robinson’s Luggage at the corner of Broad and Walnut streets in Center City is an example of such behavior, as overly excited fans broke through doors and looted the store.

“Personally, I think that while any damage or injury is regrettable, the reaction last night was comparatively tame,” Kent said. “Unfortunately, media coverage highlights the exceptions rather than the majority of people who celebrated responsibly.

“The negative activity that does occur, however, is hurtful not only to those involved, but plays into a negative stereotype of the city that is unfortunate for all.”

On the other hand, Philadelphia can reap positive benefits from the win, as the city has garnered national attention. Once labeled as fat and ugly, Philadelphia has been given a helping hand from the Phillies organization.

“The sports team can become part of the city’s brand and, depending on the sport and the team’s level of success, can also provide great exposure and recognition for a city if it is televised widely by being involved in something like the World Series,” Jordan said.

An energy has been brought to the city that’s been absent for too long. As a city, Philadelphians were able to unite for the 2008 postseason.

“The Phillies seem like a likable bunch of personalities and, therefore, are easy to root for,” Jordan said, “as is the city of Philadelphia, which, from a sport perspective, has been so long suffering. For the rest of the country, much like recently with the Red Sox and White Sox, people seem to like seeing loyal and deserving fans rewarded.”

It’s a reward that many Philadelphia fans hope will not take another 28 years to come again.

All in good time, the saying goes.

Chris Stover can be reached at stover@temple.edu.

‘Big Daddy’ on TV October 21, 2008

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Original post from The Temple News.

“If you see me eating foie gras, that’s not Big Daddy,” said Aaron McCargo, Jr., the newest star on Food Network. “That’s a double.”

“Big Daddy” is the alias of McCargo, a Camden, N.J., native who won season four of The Next Food Network Star. McCargo beat nine other contestants to earn a six-episode series on the show’s namesake network.

That series, Big Daddy’s House, premiered in August and resonated with viewers. Its second season premiere is slated for January.

“I’m able to cook and teach people and enjoy it,” McCargo said. “It’s a big party.”

McCargo, 38, first got the cooking bug at the age of four through his mother’s Betty Crocker cookbooks. His parents encouraged him to experiment in the kitchen.

“I always had a big appetite for life and for food, but every time I looked at the table, it never seemed there was enough for me,” McCargo said, laughing.

His parents recognized McCargo’s interests and talents and encouraged him to follow through with them.
“When I was seven, my dad told me I’d become a chef,” McCargo said. “I never knew what it was to become one until I did.”

After studying for a year at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College, McCargo worked at many restaurants in a variety of positions, from sous chef to executive chef of his own restaurant in Camden.

Most recently, he was the executive chef of catering at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. While working there, his wife pushed him to apply for The Next Food Network Star, and McCargo was chosen as one of the 10 finalists.

“I had a great job at Jefferson doing something I love to do,” he said. “But this is what dreams are made of, and you have to go for it.”

McCargo said he continues to keep in touch with the other contestants on the show, but would he do it again?

“No,” he said. “It was work. A lot of work.”

A panel of three judges, consisting of two network executives and celebrity chef Bobby Flay, chose McCargo to carry his own show.

“Aaron adds a burst of oversized personality to Food Network,” said Bob Tuschman, senior vice president of programming and production for Food Network. “His passion for big, bold flavors takes center stage in all his down-home food that our viewers crave.”

The six-episode run of Big Daddy’s House garnered more than 4.9 million viewers. Tuschman said the premiere was one of the highest-rated debuts for a cooking series the network has seen.

“Big Daddy got a big welcome from our viewers,” Tuschman said. “Viewers tell us that Aaron just makes cooking fun and approachable. He’s funny, he’s passionate, and his recipes are easy to recreate at home.”

It’s no secret that McCargo regards his family highly. His children – sons Joshua, 15, and Justin, 4, and daughter Jordan, who will be 2 next month – are frequently featured on his show.

“The boys are loving it,” McCargo said. “I don’t think it’ll be too long till they have their own show.”
Tuschman credits McCargo’s combination of expertise, pedagogy and “high-octane personality” as the reason for his success on Food Network.

“He had a warmth, generosity and likeability that endeared him to the judges, the viewers and even the other finalists,” Tuschman said. “In the end, that is in fact why his co-finalists gave him the nickname ‘Big Daddy.’”

McCargo’s is not a typical Camden success story. He found his achievements in a city once pegged as America’s most dangerous.

“I always tell people the three keys to success – a good prayer life, believing in God and myself,” McCargo said. “It’s having the great support from my church family and my immediate family and having a passion for what I love to do. And that’s cooking.”

He admits he’s not perfect – “I’ve been burning a lot of things in my life, and Big Daddy’s gonna keep burning things on the show,” he joked – but McCargo does give viewers a taste of his food and his life in every episode.

“This is how I do it,” McCargo said. “I’m the real deal, not frontin’. I’m just doing me.”

Chris Stover can be reached at stover@temple.edu.

SEPTA responds to hammer attack October 6, 2008

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Produced for the Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab (MURL). Dated Sept. 17.

A lacking Republican presence September 30, 2008

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Original post from temple-news.com, published in the Sept. 30 edition. Graphic by Kriston Bethel.

CHRIS STOVER
Editor in Chief

It’s not easy being Republican at Temple, let alone in Philadelphia.

“Our challenges originally were letting people know that we exist,” said Brian McGovern, president of the Temple College Republicans. “That’s still our challenge today, but we’re doing a lot better with it.”

Temple has had a strong Democratic presence on campus since the six weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania Primary in April. Campus visits from Sen. Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, cast a shadow over Sen. John McCain, who at the time was already the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

So far this semester, Temple has hosted big-name supporters of Sen. Barack Obama, including Private Practice star Kate Walsh and Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The Republican presence isn’t as easy to find.

“This isn’t just any college campus,” said McGovern, a senior political science major. “This is Temple University in one of the most Democratic cities in the United States.”

YOUNG INFLUENCE
Young people are more apt to have Democratic tendencies, especially those in college, said former Philadelphia Mayor John Street.

“Young people are just smart and more likely to be in tune with a more people-oriented message,” Street said. “Young people worry more about the poor [and] working-class issues and are not yet burdened with making a living.”

It’s important, then, for McGovern and the College Republicans to spread the messages of McCain and his running-mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“We believe that if people knew about the Republican message and not what certain news outlets or what their friends say, they would see that our message does work for them,” McGovern said.

The College Republicans began a few years ago with a handful of students. Recently, the group runs out of vacant seats at its meetings, which average 30 to 50 students, McGovern said.

But it’s not the only political group on campus. The Temple College Democrats were the organizers of the recent Howard Dean visit, which attracted more than 100 students for a midday rally on Sept. 19.

“I think that we are a more liberal campus, so I think that there’s a warm and open reception to us and the things we do,” said Elizabeth Hanson, president of the College Democrats. “On [the Republicans’] side, their message may not feel as welcome all the time.”

McGovern said the relationship between the two groups was “shaky” a few years ago, but they now share a “decent friendship.”

“We want to be controversial, but we don’t want to be too controversial,” McGovern said. “We’re looking to keep the discourse civil on campus, and maintaining our relationships helps to keep it civil.”

Hanson, a junior political science major, agrees with McGovern and added that forming a good relationship now can help in their political futures.

“We know that even though we differ on most things, it’s better to learn to reach across the aisle now because how else would we do it in Washington?” she said.

(more…)

I shook Kate Walsh’s hand! September 20, 2008

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Private Practice star Kate Walsh decided to pop in the Draught Horse at Temple last weekend. And, of course, TTN was there.

And I shook her hand.

Mompremier premieres as TSG president August 26, 2008

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Original post from temple-news.com.

Audio report available here.

CHRIS STOVER
The Temple News

TSG President Nadine Mompremier prepares for the upcoming semester. Motivation and action are two of her biggest goals.

TSG President Nadine Mompremier prepares for the upcoming semester. Motivation and action are two of her biggest goals. (Tim Bennett/TTN)

At first, it wasn’t for her.

Before getting involved in campus activities, Temple Student Government President Nadine Mompremier planned to graduate in three years. College seemed more of a necessity than an interest.

“I originally did not like school,” Mompremier said. “My involvement [in TSG] and my friends are what kept me here at Temple.”

Last year, Temple students elected the Owl V.O.I.C.E.S. slate as the 2008-2009 leaders of TSG, led by the soft-spoken Mompremier.

What began as a stint on the homecoming committee in 2006 led to her role as last year’s vice president of student affairs, and now as president of the student body.

“I’ve been watching and learning since freshman year,” the senior law and business major said.
One main goal of TSG this year is to involve more students in the legislative process, Mompremier said. It’s important to get students’ voices heard to initiate change, she said.

“Our whole goal is to get more of the student input and student voice into the TSG meetings,” she said.

A notable change to TSG this year is the inaugural Senate, a group of 32 representatives from Temple’s nine schools and colleges. Non-members can bring up concerns to the Senate, who will follow up on the issue and even pass a bill to be presented to Temple administration.

“TSG is definitely going to be the voice of the students,” Mompremier said. “We came in with a vision, and we knew what we wanted to do. And now we’re leaving it up to the students to tell us what to do from here on out.”

Mompremier is joined on the executive board by Vice President of External Affairs Nexus Cook and Vice President of Services Farzad Firoz.

Cook, a senior psychology major, will be focusing on TSG’s commitment to the community and what the organization can do to expand itself.

Firoz, a senior finance major, will be responsible for researching special projects that could potentially be brought to Temple, Mompremier said.

“It’s definitely exciting to work with both of them,” she said. “The three of us together – I feel like we make a really great team.”

What Mompremier hopes will make them a great team is their dedication and willingness to interact with students. She quit her job so she can focus more of her attention toward the issues of Temple students.

“I’m available,” she said. “Just talk to me.”

Hailing from Brooklyn, Mompremier has embraced her home in North Philadelphia, which is why she wants to accomplish so much for Temple students.

“Since I came to Temple, I’ve fallen in love with the school,” she said. “I’m definitely passionate and I definitely know we can do more.”

Mompremier speaks like she’ll be the people’s president, promising to support student organizations by attending various events and “being the best me I can be.”

“One thing that has been instilled in the TSG environment … is helping to build future student leaders,” she said. She said she had been inspired by past presidents Raysean Hogan and Juan Galeano.

The decision of whether to run for student body president was difficult for Mompremier, but she has the confidence to represent the university’s 19,000 undergraduates.

“When I came to Temple, I did not plan to be the president,” she said, smiling. “For me, it was knowing that I could do more [by] learning from everyone else.”

Now sporting sentiments opposite those she had in her freshman year, Mompremier has some simple advice for incoming students.

“Don’t be afraid to open yourself up and learn something new every day,” she said. “Get it from Gandhi – be the change you want to see at Temple.”

Mompremier’s positive attitude toward the upcoming academic year is evident when she speaks, but she’s humble about her role in TSG.

“I’m definitely trying to leave a legacy, but it’s not my main goal,” she said. “It’s to reach those one or two students who said, ‘I could never do something.’ If I can just motivate those one or two students, that’d be a great accomplishment.”

Chris Stover can be reached at stover@temple.edu.

J&H cafeteria gets modernized August 26, 2008

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Original post from temple-news.com.

LEANNE MATLACH
CHRIS STOVER
The Temple News

After cramming what managers called “six months of work” into 18 weeks, the newly renovated Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria is ready for business.

The Louis J. Esposito dining court will operate full service beginning this afternoon, general manager David Tolbert said.

Food stations are placed throughout the larger, new space. A permanent vegetarian and vegan display is the first station diners see upon entering, and it will be equipped with a daily vegetarian cooking display.
As the semester gets underway, Tolbert said new menu options under the Balanced Way program will begin to help students get healthy if they so choose. The program is being driven by a group of professors from Drexel University and Sodexo.

The newly renovated Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria will be fully operational by this afternoon. (Chris Stover/TTN)

The newly renovated Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria will be fully operational by this afternoon. (Chris Stover/TTN)

“There’s way more that we can offer than we could before,” Tolbert said, emphasizing that students had previously expressed a desire for healthier fare through comment cards.

Old favorites such as the deli station, fast food station and salad bar have been revamped but will still be offering student favorites. In order to meet the most recent Philadelphia health codes, the deli and fast food stations will no longer be self-service.

Sandwiches will be made to order and hot dogs and hamburgers will be preassembled for students. Tolbert said the salad bar will now be double-sided so lines won’t be as long.

“We really tried to address all of the line issues we had before,” he said, “Everywhere we had a backup, we changed the lineup.”

To deal with flow issues, three beverage stations are spaced throughout the dining area.
The popular “sizzling salad” station has been expanded and is a permanent fixture to the dinner menu. The wrap station has also been expanded to include two extra sandwich choices and an extra salad option.

Returning students will hardly recognize the space, which has greatly increased its seating capacity from 454 to 708 seats. A building expansion of 20 feet increased seating capabilities. The dining area has booths and tables that can accommodate groups of varying sizes.

“We lost that old grade-school seating where all of the tables were lined up and the same size,” Tolbert said.

Hoping to throw away as little as possible, management gathered the old tables that were in the best condition and sent them to the Ambler Campus and the Diamond Club in Mitten Hall. Tables and chairs were also donated to local churches.

“We tried not to throw anything away that people could use,” Tolbert said.
The Valaida S. Walker Food Court in the Student Center acted as a pseudo-J&H during the summer months.

“It was an awkward setup because we were doing resident dining in a place that wasn’t built for it,” Tolbert said.

The last upgrade to the J&H cafeteria occurred while school was in session in 1993. Over more than eight months, construction crews worked to complete renovations.

“We were setting up tables in the back as people were coming in the front,” Tolbert said. “[The current project] is an amazing feat to get done in 18 weeks.”

New laminate flooring and carpet complete the modern look of J&H. Instead of one main walkway in the dining area, the laminate flooring is shaped into paths leading to all seating areas. All paths lead to the tray return, which now has sound barriers so the noise of clanging dishes no longer resonates throughout the dining hall.

“It’s like following the Yellow Brick Road in and out of the dining room,” Tolbert said.

LeAnne Matlach and Chris Stover can be reached at news@temple-news.com.

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