OUTERBANKS, NC - Classes are cancelled this week which can only mean one thing, SPRING BREAK! Temple students will be soaking in the rays at warm weather destinations like the one pictured above. You can’t see any in this picture, but the Outerbanks in North Carolina is home to nearly 100 wild mustang horses that freely roam the off terrain areas on the island. Here’s a story I did on location in the Outerbanks on those wild horses.
WASHINGTON, DC – It’s almost impossible to find a cheesesteak, but Washington DC is a nice change of pace from life in Philadelphia. Exploring a new city is always fun, but it’s more of a workout when you’re doing it 
with fellow tour guides! Finding something to do in our nation’s capital was incredibly easy on a college budget. Luckily most of the museums around DC offer free admission so a convenient place to thaw out and warm up during our cold walks across the lawn. Of course, the one museum I have been dying to go to, the Newseum, charges admission but I can say it is definitely worth a visit! Inside the Newseum has specialized exhibits which help capture the nation’s history through journalism. It’s not everyday you get to touch segments of the Berlin wall or sift through hundreds of actual newspapers dating back to the beginning of the printing press. If you’re like me and sometimes find museums overwhelming, fortunately tickets to the Newseum are valid for two days so you can come back and “go live” again in the museum’s interactive newsroom. You can see the “live” clip from my visit to the Newseum with Shay and Maura down below.
Still looking to fill your Hard Knocks fix this football season? Be sure and check out Temple TUFF on Comcast Sports Net. From the practice field to the pregame speech, each 30 minute episode takes viewers behind the scenes of Temple football. This season I have been working for Temple TUFF which is produced by 20/20 Visual Media, a production company launched by two recent Temple graduates. Only in it’s first season, Temple TUFF is quickly picking up an audience. Recently ,one of the episodes received a 0.8 rating which means more than 24,000 Philadelphia households were watching. This high rating for a prime time show in the 4th largest media market in the United States is a true testament to how well the show is produced by Patrick Rosenbaum and Rob Czyzewicz. You can watch the next episode of Temple TUFF when it airs November 2nd at 6:30 on Comcast Sports Net. In the meantime you can catch up on previous episodes by watching below.
AMBLER, PA – On game days, athletic trainers like Temple University’s Travis McCormack can be seen on the sidelines waiting for the moment fans, coaches, and players wish would never happen. Injuries are a common occurrence in any sport, but McCormack’s responsibility is to return athletes back to the playing field as soon as possible. Inside his training room, McCormack diligently treats blisters, ACL tears, and everything in-between. Part of an athletic trainer’s daily duties include working with dirty, smelly feet, but it’s something McCormack takes in full stride. The former athlete admits to frequently using an athletic trainer which is why McCormack believes he’s finially, “putting in his time now.” Watch the video below for an inside glimpse of life as an athletic trainer.still allows him the chance to stay connected to the world of sports which he loves.
Have you had a chance to meet the Owl’s newest head football coach, Steve Addazio? The former offensive coordinator from the University of Florida is motivated by his passion for success. Now midway through his first season, Addazio continues to share his overwhelming passion for Temple and the game of football with players, students, and fans. Currently the Owls are sitting atop the MAC East with a 5-3 record. Temple’s next big test comes on November 2nd when the team plays Ohio in a primetime MAC showdown broadcast on ESPN. You can listen to Steve Addazio talk about why he loves Temple in this recent interview I did for ESPNU.
The start of a new school year is always an exciting time at Temple University. I can still remember the butterflies I felt Freshmen year walking down Liacouras Walk on the first day of classes and feeling an overwhelming presence of Temple pride. Fast forward three years later and some things never change. As students embark on a new semester of classes the vibrant campus here in North Philadelphia is alive as ever. In addition to classes picking back up, it is also a hectic time of year inside Temple’s Howard Gittis Student Center as our 250+ student organizations are diligently planning exciting events for the weeks ahead. Over the past few weeks I started a new job for the Temple University Office of Communications. While I’ll still be giving tours to all of you perspective students I’ll also be creating various videos for the Temple University Online Newsroom. One of my first projects of the year was this welcome back message I put together for Temple President Dr. Ann Weaver Hart. You can take a look at the President’s “Hartfelt” address by watching the video below.
Tears, hugs and lots of goodbyes could only mean one thing… Move in day is one of the busiest times of the year here on Temple University’s campus and a hectic time for Residential Life Director Kevin Williams. Last week Kevin along with the rest of his staff and student volunteers helped acclimate just over 5,000 students to their new homes. Temple University has 11 residence halls ranging from traditional suite style, to spacious apartment style setups. Outside the sidewalks on Broadstreet were cluttered with mini mountains of student belongings including disco balls, TV’s, posters, refrigerators and lots of clothes. Students and their families pitched in to help speed up the move in process and by the end of the day sweat wasn’t the only thing streaming down the faces of many parents. Tears of joy and tears of sadness streamed down the faces of many parents like Temple mom, Genna Kundrati, who said, “it’s bittersweet, we’ll be teary-eyed and it’ll be quite an adjustment more for me than for her.” Students like Freshmen Fleche Jones felt confident about the transition to college, “If I can manage my time like in high school I’ll be fine.” The Pittsburgh native is pursuing her dream of becoming a celebrity lawyer and with a smile says she’s got it all figured out.
For related information about Temple Housing check out these previous blog posts:
PHILADELPHIA, PA – It was a perfect fit as Temple University’s newest class of medical students tried on their white lab coats for the first time, marking the start to an exciting career ahead. This relatively new tradition, known as a white coat ceremony, is considered to be a rite of passage in the medical field. Dean of the Temple University School of Medicine, Dr. Larry Kaiser, helped cloak the class of 2015 in their new set of white threads saying, “From the moment you put on that coat, you will become part of a great profession and all that goes with it. It’s almost a living thing … this kind of educational process.”This year’s white coat ceremony was Dr. Kaiser’s first as Dean of the School of Medicine and helped welcome in all 211 first year medical students.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Beat the summer heat and take a leap of faith into “Devil’s Pool,” a natural swimming hole located inside Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. After a short hike visitors can plunge into the refreshing Wissahickon Creekwater. This scenic spot, nestled back in the woods is known as one of Philadelphia’s best kept secrets. The area is said to have been a spiritual gathering site for local Native Americans and some locals still claim the site is haunted. Best of all this natural pool is less than 15 minutes from Temple University’s main campus. The question remains are YOU brave enough to take the dive? Devil’s Pool is open all year round so if you are a true thrill seeker I’d recommend you come back in the winter and take the “Polar Plunge.” On a recent trip to Devil’s Pool I witnessed two kids jump nearly 70ft off an overhanging bridge into the pool of shallow water (everyone was okay) but this is not recommended. You can see these true thrill seekers and some other clips taken from my cell phone camera in the video below.
