At Temple’s School of Media and Communication, associate professor Barry Vacker is teaching "Media, Culture, and the End of the World." He has a great hook: December 21 is doomsday on the Mayan calendar. Each week, students explore apocalyptic themes. "We looked at why these ideas proliferate over time and how they provide ‘what if’ scenarios to help guide human behavior,” he said. “If nuclear material falls into the hands of terrorists, for example, a war could start.”
The Provost Search Advisory Committee, chaired by Therese Dolan, continues to invite confidential inquiries, nominations and applications from with the university community for the position of provost, Temple's chief academic officer.
Temple Acting President Richard Englert offers support to the family members, friends and all those affected by the sudden death of a Temple student who took her life in the Liacouras Parking Garage.
As gaming revenue continues to dwindle, industry leaders and advocates in Atlantic City say the resort's future will depend on attracting group business such as conventions. With a larger stock of hotel rooms, the city is better equipped to build its group business than in years past, said Ed Spotts, an instructor at Temple's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. "There was always that conversation…that this is something that's viable," said Spotts, a 27-year casino industry veteran.
In an op-ed, Jerry Ratcliffe, professor and chair of Temple's Criminal Justice Department, wrote that a "lack of investment in policing and crime deterrence" is behind the record-breaking homicide rate in Camden, N.J. "The decimation of the city's police force in recent years has removed patrolling police officers who significantly inhibit crime," Ratcliffe wrote. "The absence of active policing in crime hot spots allows drug dealers, prostitutes and gang members to operate with impunity.
Hundreds of Philadelphia residents living in the neighborhoods surrounding Temple attended a Community Career Fair at Temple's Mitten Hall on Monday. The event was co-sponsored by Temple's Office of Community Relations; Darrell L. Clarke, president of Philadelphia City Council; and Pennsylvania State Sen. Shirley Kitchen. "We think this is an important way for Temple to connect employers with people who are seeking jobs, especially in this time when the economy is still shaky," said Beverly Coleman of the Office of Community Relations.
What attracted Tampa socialite Jill Kelly to men with stars on their shoulders? For many so-called "military groupies," the allure of men in uniform is real, says Temple military psychology expert Janice Laurence of the College of Education's Department of Psychological, Organizational and Leadership Studies. "She's looking for power, she's looking for glory, she's looking for money, she's looking for something to complete herself," Laurence said.
