Temple is literally always changing, renovating, updating, and building. The constant developments show that our university is taking it’s better-than-ever reputation seriously. Like us, Temple is never satisfied and is always looking for ways to improve. However, all of the construction sites and new stores can get confusing. So, Her Campus Temple has developed a definitive guide to everything new here at the T.
1. Stella’s Scoops
Perhaps the most important on this list is Temple’s new ice cream shop, Stella’s Scoops. During the past few years, demand has been high for an on-campus scoop shop. It took the place of Stella’s convenience store on the first floor of the Morgan Hall dining complex. You can choose from eight mouth-watering flavors of ice cream or two flavors of frozen yogurt each day. The menu offers shakes, scoops, cones, cups, sundaes, waffles and ice cream, and floats. They have a wide range of toppings and even sell Baker Dave’s cookies and brownies. The best part? Stella’s takes your meal swipes. That’s the best news ever for those of you struggling with a Basic 10.
2. Update on New Library
As you all know, unless you’ve been living under a rock, the gaping hole alone Liacouras and Polett will be home to Temple’s state-of-the-art, robot-controlled, eco-friendly library by Fall of 2018. You can expect study rooms and quiet areas, breakout rooms, a café, an advising center, 3D printing and much more. But we’re still low-key hoping they decide to make it a giant swimming pool instead. Learn more about the library here (https://news.temple.edu/news/2016-04-25/temple-breaks-ground-bold-new-library).
3. Paley Library Construction
While a new library is in the works, Temple made the *very intelligent* decision to renovate our current, stuck-in-the-70s library, meaning, we only have half of a functioning library for almost 40,000 students. Thank God for the TECH. The 100+ study desks, handful of comfy chairs, and reference stacks that were once in Paley have all been taken away to be replaced by CLA and CST advising. Thankfully, the stacks, breakout rooms, help desk, computers, and printing services are still in order.
4. All-gender Bathrooms
Temple is making it school policy to have all-gender bathrooms in every on-campus building. The first completed bathrooms were unveiled in Annenberg Hall, The School of Media and Communication. Temple Towers, an upperclassmen apartment-style living complex, has also begun to implement the inclusive bathrooms.
5. Administration and the Board of Trustees
Over the summer, Temple students received a cryptic email discussing Temple’s Board of Trustees decision to remove Neil Theobald from his position as university President. The votes were cast following an altercation over Theobald’s decision to dismiss Provost Hai Lung Dai. In their places are acting President Richard Englert and Provost JoAnne Epps. While this is a confusing time for Temple’s administration, we remember that this university has been combating trials and challenges since 1884, and we can surely handle another one. We trust that Englert and Epps look just as good in cherry and white. The Temple News (http://temple-news.com/news/administration-shake-know/) has more information about what we know about the whole situation.
6. Insomnia Cookies and Honeygrow
What once was a vacant storefront in the bottom of Morgan Hall along Cecil B. Moore Avenue is now home to Insomnia Cookies and Honeygrow. Insomnia outgrew is humble food truck, which was settled by the Student Center for years. The new storefront location offers the same warm, gooey cookies, but has additions like Cookiewiches, ice cream, cookie cakes, and cookies and brownies a la mode. You can smell the cookies baking all along Cecil B. Moore, which I’m thinking is definitely an advertising tactic to get hungry students on their way to class.
7. Temple Sports Complex
At the former site of William Penn High School lies Temple’s new sports complex, which includes pristine soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse fields, as well as a track, locker rooms, training facilities, and coaches’ offices. Before the complex was built, some student athletes had to travel to and from the Ambler Sports Complex to get to their games. Check out the beautiful fields for yourself by going to see a game or two. Your fellow Owls will appreciate it!
8. New TSG Structure
At the end of each school year, Temple Student Government holds elections to fill positions. Last year, Aron Cowen campaigned for his TSG structure, Empower TU, and it ultimately won by 32% of the vote. Cowen is this year’s student body president, Jai Singletary is the vice president of external affairs, and Kelly Dawson is the vice president of services. Empower TU created a 40-person parliamentary system to better represent the student body. The Temple News explains that there are 20 general representatives, a representative from each undergraduate college, and seven issue-based representatives. As the year progresses, we’ll see if Cowen’s dream of unifying Temple comes true.
9. Student Health and Wellness Center
Over the summer, Temple broke ground on a new Student Health and Wellness Center, which will be located along 15th Street and Montgomery Avenue. Much of this space is for students in the College of Public Health majoring in physical and occupational therapy to work on their skills. In addition, the center will include an indoor recreation area, a juice bar, new climbing wall, lecture halls, computer labs, a turf field, a demo apartment, and much more. There’s a lot of excitement around this new health and wellness center; it’s hopefully going to be finished by the fall of 2017.
As cliché as it sounds, the improvements and construction show that this is such an exciting time to be an Owl! Hmm, if only our football season could be as great as last year. Girls can dream, right?