A (Now Open) Letter To President Theobald, Temple University’s President

Note: I wrote this message in an e-mail to President Theobald on February 9, 2016, a day after the vote to move forward with a design for a stadium on Temple’s campus took place at a Board of Trustees meeting. I also forwarded it to the Dean of the college from which I graduated, although it is worth mentioning he was not the dean at the time I attended. I heard back from the Dean the same day; his response was short, and did not really address my concerns, but I appreciated the acknowledgement nonetheless. As of March 30, 2016, I have not heard a response of any kind from President Theobald. I can’t explain why, but I now feel compelled to publish this as an open letter. Maybe it is the fact that it has been almost two months since I wrote the e-mail and I have yet to receive even a form-letter response. Maybe it is the fact that I have been following this story since writing this e-mail, and I know that students are taking more and more steps to protest the stadium — hanging banners around campus, speaking to classes, staging a walk-out scheduled for April 14, etc. Or, maybe I just hope that by sharing my thoughts it will encourage more alumni who agree with my points to speak up. Either way, I have pasted my e-mail below. I tried my best to keep my tone neutral and to make my respect for Temple evident.

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Dear President Theobald,

I am writing to offer an alumna perspective on the vote to approve the football stadium design that took place yesterday — I do not currently support this initiative. My name is Sarah [deleted] and I graduated magna cum laude from the School of Media and Communication (back then the school of Communications and Theater) during the winter graduation of the 2010–2011 academic year. Since then, I have gone on to earn my master’s degree and am in the process of obtaining a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Although I have attended other universities for graduate school, Temple will always be “my school,” my alma mater.

Temple is amazing in so many ways and I truly believe I got a world-class education in the three and a half years I attended the university. Temple taught me to navigate not only the academic world, but also the “real world.” It has been so inspiring to watch Temple’s public image grow over the past couple years, and to see people learn about all Temple has to offer through campaigns such as, “Temple Made” and “Take Charge.” It feels like the rest of the world is finally getting a glimpse of what we as students and alumni have always known about the university. However, even strong universities have areas where improvement is needed. I have always felt that an area in which Temple can — and must — do better has been community relations.

As a student, I did not feel the university adequately prepared us for the realities of living in North Philadelphia. I once even wrote a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer criticizing Temple for not alerting its students to shootings and other dangerous situations in areas that, while technically not in university borders, occurred in places students were known to work, eat, and live (e.g. Broad and Jefferson). However, looking back on my actions and views from 6–10 years ago, I realize now that my concerns, while potentially valid, were also somewhat selfish and narrow-minded. I was concerned for my own personal safety. I did not yet know enough about the realities of low-income communities to have any concern for North Philadelphia’s residents. After graduation, I started working in low-income, urban communities not all that different from North Philadelphia. It was then that I started to look back on my time at Temple and realized that we as students were not the only ones whose living situations and daily realities were not fully supported by the university.

North Philadelphia residents feel displaced. They feel put upon. They feel that in a community that has so little, students (often unknowingly) flaunt excess on a daily basis. This is something that is not only unfair to residents, but also makes students targets for violence, robberies, etc. Residents are living next to students who have not been taught the history and culture of the community — who often don’t even know the basics of what it means to be a good neighbor. I know Temple has increased its number of residence halls since I graduated, but when I attended the majority of sophomores (and above) lived “off campus” and I would assume many still do. One could argue it is not the responsibility of the university to teach its students how to be community residents, but I argue differently. If a university is going to exist (and continuously expand) within a community then relationships with that community need to be a top, if not THE top, priority.

I know Temple does many great things in the community, and there have been many new initiatives in this arena since I graduated; these new projects include programs that offer scholarships to North Philadelphia high school graduates, and the plans to redevelop the William Penn High School area into a community job training site. However, these large-scale efforts, while great, do not address the day-to-day concerns of both students and residents. I have read accounts of yesterday’s protests and community comments from the board meeting, and it is clear that despite some improvements Temple has made, there are many more improvements that need to occur before an on-campus stadium should become a reality.

I know a stadium would benefit Temple students in many ways. It would be fun, and convenient, to have a stadium on campus. It would energize a football team that has made vast strides over the past couple of years, and it would catalyze additional support for the team. I remember having to make the trip to “The Linc” as a student to watch a football game — I won’t pretend that it was not a hassle at times. I am sure many students and alumni are in support of the stadium; I know the current student government president has already come out in support of the initiative. But, when you exist in the middle of a community, you must take the well-being of both residents and students into account. I know there have been suggestions that a stadium will allow the university to employ community members. That is great, and it is a step in the right direction. But, public (by which I mean North Philadelphia’s) perception of our campus must improve before initiatives like this move forward. Short-term construction employment, or even long-term employment in the stadium, for a select group of residents is not going to erase years of animosity and hostility that many community members have felt toward Temple — much of which has gone unaddressed.

I hope to one day see a stadium on Temple’s campus within my lifetime. But I am writing to you, as an alumna, to urge you to reconsider whether now is truly the right time. When I was a student, students and community residents rarely came together on many issues. When I read accounts of yesterday’s protests, with students standing alongside North Philadelphia residents, trying to make their voices heard, I was both proud and saddened. I can not support this stadium until these concerns are fully addressed. I am not saying I have all the answers, but I believe this project must be delayed so people can seek them.

As I said, I have nothing but respect and appreciation for Temple and my bachelor’s degree. But when you truly care about something, it is your obligation to do what you can to make sure it exists to its full potential, which is why I am writing to you today. I know I am just one alumna, but I hope you will consider what I have written in this letter. I would welcome the chance to discuss this with you further. I can be reached at this e-mail address or at [deleted].

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for all you do for Temple.