Japan awoke to television footage of the US politicians grilling Toyota's chief Akio Toyoda over defects that have been blamed for more than 30 US deaths. Robert Dujarric of Temple University, Japan Campus, said that crisis has been "a shock for Japan because Toyota is the greatest symbol of the country's 'monozukuri' (craftsmanship). Dujarric added that the shock "also reflects Japan's insecurity regarding its place in the world. It's a reflection of Japan's unease."

As recalls and manufacturer defects continue to raise questions about Toyota vehicle safety, owners may worry that auto-insurance premiums may be affected, too. Not necessarily, experts say. "I don't think it's that big of an issue from an auto-insurance perspective," said Michael R. Powers, professor of risk and insurance at Temple’s Fox School of Business. Powers said rates might increase "only very slightly," but they could also be offset by declining resale values of some Toyota models as a result of the crisis.

Temple University Libraries' Charles L. Afro-American Collection recently received a grant of nearly $47,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to have 19th century abolitionist William Still's papers digitized, said Diane D. Turner, curator of the collection, housed at Temple's Sullivan Hall. When the work is completed, researchers and students from all over the world will be able to view them by going to the Temple University Libraries web site. "I'm ecstatic," said Charles Blockson, founder of the collection. "It's a godsend."

A van carrying a Temple University dance team to a competition in North Carolina crashed in southern Virginia early Saturday, killing one student and injuring seven others. Kammini Ragoopath of Lansdale, Pa., died after the van veered off Interstate 85 and hit a guardrail. "The loss of a member of our community is never easy, and the sudden death of one of our students is particularly heartbreaking," Temple President Ann Weaver Hart said. The Bhangra dance team, which performs traditional Indian dances, was traveling to Durham, N.C., for Saturday's competition.