Shannon McDonald
The Temple News
Exclusive interview with Rob McElhenny of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
Shannon McDonald | The Temple News | March 24, 2009
‘Sunny’ star still a Philly guy at heart
Photo courtesy of Michael Becker for FX
If the name of his show wasn’t enough proof already, Rob McElhenney, 31, is a Philadelphia guy. In an exclusive interview with The Temple News, the writer, producer and star of
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia reminisces about his days of hanging out in Fairmount Park, sneaking into bars and roaming Temple’s Main Campus for a semester.
Shannon McDonald: You’re a born-and-raised Philly kid. How did you spend your time growing up?
Rob McElhenney: I grew up in South Philadelphia at Moyamensing and Dickinson, then, I moved to Delaware County after high school. I went to high school at St. Joe’s Prep and hung out with kids from all different schools. I don’t know if kids do this anymore, but we used to go to Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park after school to hang. Sometimes we’d go to the bars that let underagers in.
SM: I hear you went to Temple for a while. Have any fond memories?
RM: My time at Temple was short. I went for a semester but didn’t finish. I wasn’t a great student – I wasn’t excelling, and I wasn’t there long enough to declare a major. I wanted to leave Philly and see new things, so I moved to New York. I stayed there for seven years before heading out to Los Angeles.
SM: When did you realize you wanted to make a career out of acting?
RM: As a kid, I did plays in school but never really thought of it as being a career option. It wasn’t until I got to New York City and met waiters and bartenders who were doing shows at night that I ever considered it as a profession. I enrolled in Lee Strasberg [Theatre and Film Institute], which is associated with the Screen Actors Guild and started acting. Continue reading
Students head south for historic inauguration
Vendors around the National Mall sold hoodies, t-shirts, scarves and more with President Obama's face on them.
Shannon McDonald | The Temple News | Jan. 20, 2009
They were all there for the same reason on Sunday. Every color, every age, every stage of life. They waited – some more patiently than others – in a cold, empty room until someone led them outside. Then, they waited again, in a line on Arch Street.
One by one, they boarded the Chinatown bus. They sat for three hours, growing more excited and getting more anxious, before they dragged their bags onto the Sixth Street sidewalk in Washington, D.C. They all went their separate ways, but they will reunite today for a common cause.
Today at noon, Barack Obama will become the 44th president of the United States. The theme – which commemorates the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth – for the 2009 inauguration is “A New Birth of Freedom,” which was chosen by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in consultation with the Senate Historian’s Office.
The attendance rate is expected to be the highest in the nation’s history. Continue reading
Phillies fans celebrate World Series win in the Northeast
By Shannon McDonald | Nov. 4, 2008 | The Temple News
Don’t Forget the Northeast
“It’s a tough night to be a cop,” a Philadelphia Police officer said. “But it’s a great night to be a Philadelphian. As long as nothing gets out of hand, I’m willing to let people celebrate.”
Mere seconds after the last out of Game 5, Phillies fans did just that.
The event was 28 years in the making, and the scene at Cottman and Frankford avenues took hours to prepare. Cars were cleared from the streets as police officers set up roadblocks, and store owners hung signs in their windows welcoming patrons and supporting the Phillies.
As the players piled on top of one another on the field at Citizens Bank Park, Northeast Philadelphians packed onto Frankford Avenue by the thousands. They marched, they sang and some even cried tears of relief and joy. Philadelphians are champions.
SEPTA police strike made official
After a day of negotiations, SEPTA police officers have made good on their promise to strike.
The Fraternal Order of Transit Police has not been able to reach an agreement with SEPTA officials regarding the wages and benefits of FOTP members.
SEPTA released a statement earlier today, which says the tentative agreements monitored by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation were approved by SEPTA officials, but not by the FOTP.
Since negotiations began yesterday, SEPTA, Mayor Michael Nutter and the Philadelphia Police Department have been assuring riders that security will not diminish due to the strike.
SEPTA officials hope to resume discussion with the FOTP soon, as they feel “this strike was totally avoidable.”
Photo courtesy of CBS3.
See this post on Broad & Cecil, the blog of The Temple News.
No TU-Alert a louder message after shooting
By Shannon McDonald | May 17, 2008 | The Temple News
Temple tested TU-Alert, its emergency alert system, on Friday, May 9. Students who have registered with the system received a text message, phone call and e-mail explaining that the message was only a test.
On Tuesday, May 13, shots were fired at 15th and Norris streets. No one got a TU-Alert message.
The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. A 19-year-old non-Temple female was shot in the chest, and the security kiosk on the corner has bullet holes in it. Marshall Thomas, the 19-year-old suspect, is still on the loose, as the Temple News reported [“Shots fired at 15th and Norris,” Chris Stover and LeAnne Matlach, May 13, 2008].
William Bergman, Temple’s vice president of operations, sent an e-mail to students on May 14 informing them that the incident was believed to be the result of a domestic disagreement and was not a random crime.
New Gen Ed classes need world affairs requirement
By Shannon McDonald | April 29, 2008 | The Temple News
When it comes to the improvement and expansion of Main Campus, students tend to focus on housing and technology. But academics – the real reason you’re paying tuition – often go ignored.
Journalist and professor Ted Gup addressed this in his April 11 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“I find it profoundly discouraging to encounter such ignorance of critical issues,” Gup wrote. “I challenge [students’] right to tune out the world, and I question any system or society that can produce such students and call them educated.”
Gup finds it incomprehensible that students who have almost constant access to technology can know so little about current events and world affairs. He is right in this opinion.
SEPTA attacks bring security too late
By Shannon McDonald | April 15, 2008 | The Temple News
It took three attacks and a funeral to increase security on Philadelphia’s sole public transportation system.
The subway attacks of March 26, April 2 and April 4 occurred within blocks of each other – some in broad daylight – and have highlighted the need for increased security on SEPTA’s tracks.
“We’re taking special note of what’s going on,” Mayor Michael Nutter told 6 ABC recently.
Nutter and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey have both promised SEPTA users more safety in the wake of the attacks.
SEPTA has also responded. Immediately following the attacks, the transit agency increased the number of officers on duty by 50 percent during after school hours – the time associated with the recent attacks. Between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., 90 officers will now police the city’s subway system to deter crime. SEPTA also plans on installing security cameras over the next few years, an investment of more than $50 million.
“These senseless and tragic incidents are unrelated events that occurred in the public pedestrian areas adjacent to our stations. I want to assure you that our transit system is safe,” Joseph M. Casey, general manager of SEPTA, wrote in a message to users on the agency’s Web site.
Geraldine Ferraro isn’t the racist you think she is
By Shannon McDonald | March 27, 2008 | The Temple News
Geraldine Ferraro isn’t as racist as people may think. The 1984 Democratic vice presidential candidate made it back into the political spotlight recently with racially charged and controversial comments.
“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position, and if he was a woman of any color he would not be in this position,” she said. “He happens to be very lucky to be who he is, and the country is caught up in the concept.”
The now former Hillary Clinton adviser was right, to an extent. Though saying Obama is “lucky” to be black stretches the point, the presidential candidate’s race is unquestionably beneficial to his campaign.
How company inaction led to two city slayings
By Shannon McDonald | February 25, 2008 | The Temple News
“Treating people right means we believe in respect for the individual and that we owe our teammates a clean, safe work environment.”
That’s one of the values that Loomis, a security company whose employees include guards who transfer cash between banks, boasts on its Web site. What a shame that those values aren’t being upheld.
On Oct. 4, 2007, two Loomis employees were murdered while on the job in Northeast Philadelphia. William Widmaier and Joseph Alullo were gunned down as their partner, Joseph Walczak, was forced to look on from inside the armored vehicle he was driving.
Phanatic praise and ‘Idol’ worship help
By Shannon McDonald | January 29, 2008 | The Temple News
After years of fighting a reputation of being dangerous, dirty and unattractive, Philadelphia is finally getting positive attention.
Recently, Forbes.com named the Phillie Phanatic as the top mascot in the country. The decision was based on the characters’ appeal, endorsement and trendsetting, among other things. Though there was never any question about this city’s love for the furry, scooter-riding Phanatic, national recognition isn’t something to shy away from. If the Phillies can’t win the World Series, at least local sports fans can be proud of the mascot.
If a loveable mascot wasn’t enough to bulk up Philly’s reputation, the city has also received tons of free publicity from its recent stint on American Idol. The national exposure Philly received as its residents sang their way to fame or shame was worth more than $2 million, as reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Just a few months ago, Travel + Leisure magazine ranked Philadelphia as one of the most unattractive and unfriendly cities in the country. Our high murder rate also drew national attention.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street can go to lots of places, but not here
By Shannon McDonald | December 4, 2007 | The Temple News
Temple announced last month that Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street will become an adjunct professor of political science on Main Campus for the Spring 2008 semester.
Despite being highly criticized during his two terms as mayor, Street is slated to instruct two sections of an urban politics and policy class. My initial reaction to this was one of outrage. Along with the other residents of Philadelphia, I watched Street make one poor decision after another. Now Temple students are supposed to learn about urban policies from him. Maybe his curriculum will include corrupting a city and giving jobs to unqualified friends.
Randall Miller, a political analyst and St. Joseph’s University professor, agrees that Street has made some mistakes along the way, but said the mayor has also done some beneficial things for Philadelphia as well.
“Street doesn’t stand in the way of progress,” Miller said. “But he hasn’t encouraged it.”
He suggested that although Street may have honorable intentions for the city, his lack of enthusiasm makes him appear weaker.
Green-friendly should be ignored for Phila. Elections
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By Shannon McDonald | November 6, 2007 | The Temple News
The 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election is today, pinning the favored Democrat, Michael Nutter, against Republican Al Taubenberger. Both candidates have focused their campaigns primarily on green issues, often neglecting more pressing topics.
“That’s because they don’t know what the issues are,” said Albert Mills, an adjunct professor of political science and geography and urban studies.
He’s been active in politics for 40 years and considers himself “progressive.” Mills said the environment should be a national issue, not the city’s focus.
Nutter and Taubenberger have had a clean campaign; they haven’t attacked each other’s characters, and they’ve been in agreement on various issues, specifically environmental concerns.
Though the candidates have different ideas about how to make Philadelphia a greener city, they have both made the green issue a top priority in their campaigns.
Swingset homicides
By Shannon McDonald | Oct. 16, 2007| The Temple News
Seven shootings have occurred at Philadelphia recreation centers since January, leaving four dead and community members searching for answers.
“It’s senseless,” said Victor Richard. “It’s total disrespect for human life.” Richard is the commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, and like everyone else, he is outraged that crime has penetrated the city’s safest havens. The four dead victims of these shootings are predictably young; three were only teenagers.
One of the surviving victims is 18-month-old Mehkee Gatewood, who suffered two gunshot wounds while at E.R. Tustin Playground in West Philadelphia in late September.
Something needs to be done.
Campus violence finds a match on North Broad Street
By Shannon McDonald | Oct. 9, 2007 | The Temple News
There hasn’t been a murder on or around Main Campus since 2005. Considering the high crime rates in the surrounding neighborhood, one murder in the course of three years is something to be happy about.
“Direct patrol is the best way to control crime,” said Charles Leone, deputy director of Campus Police.
There is no doubt the heavy police presence around campus is what keeps the crime rate so low. Campus Police not only patrol the central campus, but off-campus locations as well, monitoring the places students visit the most, and keeping their eyes on places where crimes occur most frequently.
In 2005, a stray bullet struck someone unaffiliated with Temple at 15th and Susquehanna streets. The victim lived. That same year, a Temple student was shot in his off-campus apartment after he got involved in a troubled lifestyle. That victim was not as fortunate.
Though these incidents may have hit close to home for some Temple students, the sense of security around campus remained intact because neither shooting was directly related to the school, and neither took place in the central part of campus.
Respect the city and it will respect you back
By Shannon McDonald | Sept. 25, 2007 | The Temple News
Philadelphia goes by many nicknames, some more pleasant than others. City of Neighborhoods, City of Brotherly Love, Filth-adelphia. As a life-long Philly citizen, I’ve heard them all, and even used a few on occasion. Call it what you want, but keep in mind that a person’s attitude toward the city is directly related to what that person gets back from the city.
Philadelphia has been slowly but surely building itself up over the years. Though it may not be as well known as New York, and not quite as glamorous as L.A., Philly has plenty to offer, as long as residents, visitors and tourists keep an open mind.
Much like any other bond, a person’s relationship with a city needs to be treated with care. Simply being in the city is not enough to warrant a good experience. Tourists seem to realize this, but Philadelphians often fail to consider this point.
The third-year divide
By Shannon McDonald | Sept. 4, 2007 | The Temple News
Ah, college. Parties, procrastination and 2 a.m. bowls of Ramen noodles. A place where going to bed at 5 a.m. and waking for class three hours later makes perfect sense. Then there’s the second half of college.
Like most, I spent my first two years of college enduring the days of seemingly endless classes and making plans to do whatever unscholarly activities
I could find at night. After long days of crunching numbers, observing rocks and writing until my hand fell off, the best way to unwind usually involved pajamas and a TV. Throw in some friends and a smörgåsbord of cheap food and I was set.
After just a week into the first semester of my third year, the second half of college is proving to be very different than the first. The classes aren’t harder, but the workload has my schoolbag bursting at the seams. Literally.
The amount of money I spent on books is twice what I’ve spent in previous semesters. Most of this year will be spent looking for internships. Forget movie marathons in pajamas, the only downtime I get is the short break between my classes. Before the semester started I didn’t even consider the possibility of this year being any different from my past experience. If anything, I thought it could only get easier. Continue reading
Hart’s hands-off housing stance is a tired Adamany rerun
By Shannon McDonald | Aug. 28, 2007 | The Temple News
A new year brings new issues, as well as some old ones with fresh angles.
Housing on campus is a hot topic, especially as we face another increase in university enrollment. It is up to President Ann Weaver Hart to decide the future of on-campus housing.
The logical solution to accommodate Temple’s burgeoning enrollment would be to build more on-campus housing facilities, more homes for the 4,300 members of the Class of 2011, a class six percent larger than last year’s group. However, President Hart is reluctant to lead the university in that direction.
“I believe that the best use of the university’s limited resources is to focus on teaching, research and student life, and to partner with the private sector to provide student housing,” President Hart said. President Hart also expressed the importance of private investors, such as those affiliated with Oxford Village, University Village, Kardon-Atlantic Terminal, and Elmira Jeffries.
