Temple defensive end Morkeith Brown used to be somewhat of a slacker. But after serving in the Army, followed by a job at Pepsi and a brief stint in junior college, Brown is now the pride of the Owls. The 26-year-old, who has senior eligibility, received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in May and is enrolled as a graduate student. "Who I was before and who I am now are two totally different people," said Brown, who wants to be a positive role model for his 4-year-old son. "My mom is very happy. My [younger] brothers are very proud of me.

The newly announced State Small Business Credit Initiative will make $360 million available to banks in 11 states that have applied and demonstrated that every dollar banks accept will generate $10 in new private lending. In his "Small Matters" column, Temple economist Bill Dunkelberg questions whether this will boost local economies and create jobs, because borrowing activity at banks has been so low. "With the increase in the savings rate, most banks have plenty of money to lend — they just don't have enough good loan applicants," he wrote.