President Theobald discusses reducing student debt on NPR’s Morning Edition
Morning Edition co-host David Greene interviewed Temple President Neil D. Theobald about Fly in 4, Temple’s new program to limit student debt by encouraging students to graduate in four years. “Our students who graduate in four years graduate with about half the debt of those who take six years to graduate,” Theobald said. Fly in 4 also provides grants to participating students with the most need, so that they will spend less time working off-campus to pay for college and more time staying on track to graduate. “A university needs to know … who their students are and what their mission is,” Theobald said. “We need to focus on getting [students] in, getting them a course of study, making sure courses are available when they need them and getting them out in four years. That’s the priority for our students.”
National Public Radio’s Morning Edition | May 1, 2014

Psychologist Steinberg’s op-ed on teenagers and risk in Sunday New York Times
In 2005, Temple psychologist Laurence Steinberg published a paper with student Margo Gardner that demonstrated that teenagers take more risks in the presence of peers. What has puzzled Steinberg since then, he wrote in a NYT op-ed, is that his colleagues frequently cite the study—but don’t believe it. “Our study challenged many psychologists’ beliefs about the nature of peer pressure, for it showed that the influence of peers on adolescent risk taking doesn’t rely solely on explicit encouragement to behave recklessly. Our findings also undercut the popular idea that the higher rate of real-world risk taking in adolescent peer groups is a result of reckless teenagers’ being more likely to surround themselves with like-minded others.”
New York Times | April 25, 2014

LGBT-rights heroine Edith Windsor, CLA ‘50, returns to Temple
As a closeted Temple student in 1950, Edith Windsor, CLA ’50, could not have imagined the reception she would receive at her alma mater in 2014, a year after her lawsuit toppled the Defense of Marriage Act: an award for her activism, a standing ovation from an adoring crowd, a presentation from the mayor. College of Liberal Arts Dean Teresa S. Soufas said it was an “absolute joy” to welcome Windsor, who was named an Alumni Fellow. “She’s somebody about whom we are proud, but to whom we are very grateful,” Soufas said. Ashley Archer, a business major active in Temple’s Queer Student Union and Queer People of Color, described the joy of National Coming Out Week on campus and said she believed Windsor’s activism helped make it possible. “I hope she’s proud of that.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Gay News, Philadelphia Weekly | April 26, 2014

Temple economist Leeds on Marketplace: Why buy a sports franchise?
As the next step in the punishment of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, the NBA will try to force him to sell his team. But it is not exactly a fire sale. The traditional profit-focused reasons for buying a sports franchise are well established, says Temple economist Michael Leeds. “You can go back to the 19th century,” he said. “People would buy baseball teams because they owned a tavern nearby and they wanted to sell their beer.” Nowadays, owners are more likely to buy shares in media networks, but he says the payoff for ownership can come in different forms. “When you own a sports franchise, you join a very exclusive club,” he said.
American Public Media’s Marketplace | April 30, 2014

Rudmans give (another) $1 million gift to Temple to support TUTV
Kal, EDU ’57, and Lucille Rudman launched Temple’s television station and media production center, known as TUTV, four years ago with a $1.2 million gift. The couple recently renewed that commitment with another $1 million gift. “This is exactly what my wife and I wish to do with our money,” said Rudman, 84, a local philanthropist and radio personality. The gift announcement was made at an alumni award ceremony on Main Campus, where Rudman was honored. “Since joining Temple in September, I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity and vision of the Rudmans,” said David Boardman, dean of the School of Media and Communication. “Their gifts are the foundation from which we have built TUTV, an asset that gives our students the hands-on experience to be real-world ready when they graduate.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Business Journal, KYW News Radio, 6ABC, NBC10, CBS3, Philadelphia magazine, Comcast SportsNet | April 28, 2014

Jenny Rose Carey, SED ’03, talks gardening on Radio Times

Despite the recent cold weather, spring bulbs are out and flowering trees are in bloom. That means it is time to grab gloves and trowel and turn our minds to our trees and gardens. Listeners to Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane got green-thumb advice from Jenny Rose Carey, SED ’03, director of Temple’s Ambler Arboretum. The long, cold winter took a toll on trees throughout the region. “We’re still waiting to see what has come back,” Carey said. “You do have to look up and be careful to make sure there aren’t hanging limbs up there, and maybe hire an arborist to come in and give your trees a good look-at professionally. Cleans cuts rather than jagged cuts, and not too close to the trunk of the tree.”
WHYY-FM’s Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane | April 30, 2014

Tharps op-ed in New York Times: “When black hair is against the rules”
“America has always had trouble with black hair.” So begins an op-ed in the Times co-authored by Temple School of Media and Communication faculty member Lori Tharps, who also co-authored Hair Story: The Roots of Black Hair in America. “The United States Army is only the latest in a long line of institutions, corporations and schools to restrict it. On March 31, the Army released an updated appearance and grooming policy … . No distinctions are made for race or ethnicity, only gender, in that the regulations regarding hair are divided between women and men. But it’s not hard to infer that certain sections pertain specifically to black women, since they refer to hairstyles like cornrows, braids, twists and dreadlocks, severely limiting or banning them outright.”
New York Times | April 30, 2014

Links are not available for all stories. Links that do appear were active when the stories were compiled, but can change over time. Some media outlets require paid subscriptions.