By Shannon McDonald | Nov. 4, 2008 | The Temple News

“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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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