The Thanksgiving season is always accompanied by the hustle and bustle of Temple Students. We are pulling all-nighters in the tech, tirelessly working on our mounds of classwork and secretly plotting our professor’s downfall as they assign the next big project the day before our holiday break. And the only thing keeping us sane are the comforting thoughts of a week long Thanksgiving break.
TU students find it in their project-ridden schedules to give thanks to Temple University.
1. The Vibrant City
Philly may be poverty stricken, noisy and littered, but there’s no place like it. You’ll find something for every personality type in the city of Brotherly Love (not to mention stores are open past 8 p.m.). “I’m thankful to go to school in Philadelphia since there is so much to do in the city,” junior Katelyn Donahue said. Students can enjoy activities from a lit house party on a Thirsty Thursday to an improv show at the Philly Improv Theatre. Anything you’re interested in, Philly has it.
2. The Conwell Dance Theatre
Maybe we would sometimes rather just sit in a lecture and take notes absentmindedly, but to be honest, Temple demands more than that from students. Temple provides excellent resources to help students reach a high standard. Take the Conwell Dance Theatre, for instance. “As a person in the dance department, I’m grateful we have our own theatre,” sophomore Prudence Amsden said. And trust me, I understand her thanksgiving. As someone who faithfully sucks at math I particularly enjoy the tutoring resource center.
3. The Passionate Faculty
We all day dream about successfully shutting down that one professor. Saying every point you wanted to make, the whole class applauding you at the end, all leading up to that perfect mic drop moment. Needless to say, the relationship between the student and professor will always be an eternal struggle, but TU students are especially grateful for the genuine professors in the communications department. “They have given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge, my expertise, and training. They have given me the tools to get where I want to go,” junior Simone Stancil said. Sure, it can feel frustrating receiving our hard work back dripping with red ink, but TU students secretly feel thankful for the constructive criticism.
4. The Bell Tower
As an introvert, I avoid the Bell Tower like the plague. It can feel kind of overwhelming for someone who loves being alone. Students sit on the foundation of the tower to do their homework or to chat with friends. And during the summer, it’s the place to be. “I’m grateful for how lit the bell tower gets when the weather is nice,” junior Mariam Mayger said. Mayger recalled the times of Temple’s memorable summer nights featuring Temple’s favorite DJs and a widely diverse crowd have the time of their life. The Bell Tower serves as the holy landmark of Temple.
5. The New Library
On one hand, the construction site of the new library brings a lot of nerveracking noise and has been blocking half of our beloved Liacouras walk for the past two years. On the other hand, it’s beneficial to students that Temple always strives for improvement. “I like that they’re building a new library because we always have a lot of issues with the tech being too packed or the library being too packed. So, it’s nice that they’re opening a new facility,” senior Urwna Siddiqui said.
6. The Diversity
Temple University prides itself over having a widely diverse student population. People come from all around the world just to attend Temple. “I’m an international student so it’s given me a chance to meet people from different cultures and to learn different things,” sophomore Nana Myantakyi said. For the most part, TU students enjoy meeting people from different culture as a way to bust out of their cultural naiveté and international students like Myantankyi are grateful for the warm welcome.
7. The Independence
The rush of actually going to the grocery store to buy my own groceries by myself was exhilarating (as I piled a bunch of junk food into my cart). That chance for independence is a fundamental part of the Temple experience, especially for students who’ve never been on their own before. “It gave me the opportunity to live independently in an apartment for the first time,” junior Olivia Fortna said. Although moving away from home can be scary and lead to several nights of deep self-reflection and slight depression, it’s an experience that shape TU students into their unique selves.
8. The Campus Police
Who else’s parents went into cardiac arrest after you told them you were going to school in a major city? Even though our parents may have had a bit of an overreaction to this news, students need to know that Temple isn’t pardoned from Philly’s high crime rates and Temple Police patrolling the campus day and night definitely help ease student’s concerns. “Knowing that the area isn’t the best and getting the TU alerts is unsettling, but knowing that they are there helps especially when I’m leaving the tech center really late,” freshman Nicole Zabasjja said.
9. The Beautiful Campus
The general makeup of Temple University can leave its students with mild withdrawal pains from lush green grass and wide open spaces. Philly residents can go a whole day looking at tall buildings and dull concrete, which is why students love Temple’s renovated green spaces. “I love that we have outdoor stuff. Anderson roof has grass and the beach does too,” junior Mariam Mayger said. She recalled her fellow classmates laying on Beury Beach’s grass catching up on their homework or even taking a quick nap in between classes. It serves as the perfect place for students to imagine their life back in the suburbs.
10. Manuel Malià
An all around sweet guy. In fact, he has a ground breaking 5.0 rating on RateMyProfessor.com. I’ve never seen a such perfect score and I’m a faithful RateMyProfessor user. Students specifically appreciate Pro. Malià’s generous nature. “He’s a great teacher and always willing to be help somebody out,” freshman Ivyanna Greider said. Professors like Malià, who genuinely want you to succeed, are fairly common at Temple and TU students are grateful for every one of them.
Bottom Line: Thanks TU!
