He mentioned changes in policy such as viewing genders only as two, male and female. He also addressed the immigration issue and stated that he will declare a national emergency at the southern border. |
![]() President-elect Donald Trump was sworn into the White House on Inauguration Day for his second term
Jan 20, 2025 — JForrest English.com* reports: President-elect Donald Trump was sworn into the White House on Inauguration Day for his second term on January 20, 2025. During his acceptance speech, Donald Trump stated that America is to begin it’s Golden Era and discussed four key points. He mentioned changes in policy such as viewing genders only as two, male and female. He also addressed the immigration issue and stated that he will declare a national emergency at the southern border. He followed with that he will reinstate ‘remain in Mexico policy' for immigrants wishing to find asylum in United States. Also, he emphasized during his speech that he will designate the border cartels as ‘foreign terror organizations,’ and he vowed to protect the border with national guard and military servicemen. The parade kicked off shortly after the inauguration that was televised on YouTube’s many news channels. Attendees gathered along the Pennsylvania Avenue to cheer on the presidential procession and inaugural parade as it makes its way from US Capitol to the White House. Outgoing president Joe Biden, 82, attended his successor’s inauguration and witnessed the peaceful transfer of power. It’s also traditional for all living former presidents to attend the inauguration, so Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have all attended. Mr. Trump has extended invitations to his inauguration to several world leaders. Historically, foreign heads of state have not been present at presidential inaugurations. This move signals a potential shift in diplomatic norms and highlights the incoming administration’s focus on international relations from the outset. Trump’s inaugural fund has more than $170 million in its accounts. Major technology companies have made significant financial contributions to the inaugural fund, indicating a strategic effort to establish favorable relations with the incoming administration. Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Meta, among others, have donated 1 million to the inauguration fund. Unlike a direct contribution to a candidate’s campaign, there are no limits on how much an individual — or a corporate or labor group — can give to an inaugural committee.
|
President Biden gave his Farewell Address to the Nation
Jan 16, 2025 — ABC News: President Biden recorded his farewell address to the nation. Oval office speech. ABC News full video: https://youtu.be/T8vmhmilluM?si=xKf6F96xHMHaLSBF Best transcribed by Olga Dvornikova President Joe Biden stated in his farewell speech that he wanted to share important news. He said, “After 8 months of nonstop-negotiation his administration was able to help negotiate a ceasefire by Israel and Hamas.” The details of this plan was outlined by his administration in May. The plans will be implemented by the incoming administration, and he told his team to keep the incoming administration to be fully informed. Largely he said, “ because that’s how it should be, working together as Americans.” He lamented that this was his final address to American people from the oval office and desk, and he president reflected about ‘who we are’ and ‘who we should be.’ He said, “Long time ago, an iron worker installed a beam after beam, joined by stone workers. A single structure and a beacon a freedom was built - - the Statue of Liberty. A gift of France was built not by one person but by a team of steelworkers and masons. The statue does not stay still, she sways in the wind a few inches, but never falls into the current below. An engineering marvel.” He continued, “The statue of liberty is also an enduring symbol of the soul of the nation. The soul shaped by forces that bring us together and forces that pull us apart.” He added that U.S.A. has been, "The nation of pioneers and explorers, of dreamers and doers, of ancestors native to this land, and ancestors that came by force, the nation of immigrants who came to build the better life. All of us are created equal. All of us deserve to be treated with dignity, justice, and fairness. A democracy must defend and be defined and imposed and moved every way possible. Our rights, our freedoms, and our dreams and uphold it.” He said, “We know our idea of America, our people, and institution are constantly being debated, and tested. Constant debates about power. Whether we lead by the power of our example or the example of our power.” Likewise, he added “A free and independent press, courts, congress they echo the words of Declaration of Independence: “We Hold these truths to be self evident.” are rooted in the words of constitution “We the People.” Our system of separation of powers, and checks and balances, it may not be perfect but its held for 250 years of democracy. Longer than any nation in history that ever tried such a bold experiment. For the past four years our democracy has held strong. He affirmed that, “He’s held his promise and commitment to be the president for all people in America. One of the toughest periods in our nation’s history.” He thanked Kamala Harris, essential workers, and first responders by saying, “I had a great partner in Kamala Harris and was honored to be able to see the resilience of essential workers getting us through the once-in-a-century pandemic, and the heroism of first responders keeping us safe. The determination of advocates standing up for our rights and our freedoms. Instead of losing our jobs to economic crisis that we inherited, millions of Americans now have the dignity of work. Millions of entrepreneurs creating new businesses and industries, hiring American workers and using American products. Together we launched a new era of American possibilities. From new roads, bridges, clean water, affordable high speed internet for every American. We invented a semi-conductor smaller than the tip of my little finger, bringing back thousands of jobs to manufacturing. Finally he mentioned Medicare and the power to negotiate the price of prescription drug prices. His administration passed gun safety laws. Passing significant gun safety laws and brining violent crime to a 50 year low. Also, meeting sacred duty to Veterans by providing medical care, and education benefits for their families. It will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together. He mentioned planted seeds, that will grow for decades to come. Having created 17,000,000 jobs, more people have healthcare, more than any administration and oversees he had strengthened NATO, and kept Ukraine free, and his pride for how much we had accomplished together. He wished the incoming administration success, because I want America to succeed. That’s why I’ve upheld my duty ensure a peaceful transition of power, to make sure to lead by the power of his example. He did warn of concentration of power in hands of a few people. Today an oligarchy that threatens the entire democracy, and threatens regular people to get ahead. Workers want the rights to earn their fair share. During the last four years, he asked the wealthy to pay their share in taxes. Also, he warned that “The existential threat of climate change in the environment, has never been clearer. That’s why he signed the most significant Environmental law and it is working and being copied by other nations.” He proved that you don’t have to choose to grow the economy or protecting the environment. But powerful forces want to wield their unchecked power for power and profit. He must not be bullied to sacrifice the future of his children and our grandchildren. He said, “We must push forward. There is no time to waste." Likewise he referred to, president Eisenhower, “In his farewell address president Eisenhower spoke of the dangers about the rise of misplaced power.” Six decades later, President Biden is equally warning about the tech sector that can pose real dangers for Americans. Americans are being buried by lack of reliable information. He said, “The free press is crumbling. Editors disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies. We must hold social media accountable from abuse of power to protect our children and our democracies from abuse of power.” Regarding A.I. he said, “Meanwhile Artificial Intelligence, is the most consequential technology of our time. Nothing else offers more possibilities and risks for our economy, security, and humanity. Unless safeguards are in place, AI can spawn risks to rights, privacy, to how we work. He also advised, “We must make sure that it’s safe and trustworthy for all humankind. American and not China must lead the development of A. I. We must reform the tax code, so that the wealthy will pay their fair share. We need to enact 18 year term limit for members of Supreme Court and ban members of Congress from trading stocks while in the Congress. Amend the constitution that no president is immune from crimes he or she commits while in office. President’s power should not be absolute.” He spoke about democracy his life story and heritage, “Participating in our democracy, becomes exhausting and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot. A fair shot that makes America, America. Everyone is entitled to a fair shot, not a guarantee. An even playing field. Going as far as your hard work and talent can take you. You can never lose that essential truth. He’s always told foreign leaders that America can be defined by one word ‘Possibilities.’ Only in America do we believe that anything is possible. Like the Kid with a stutter from modest beginning in Scranton Pennsylvania and Claymont Delaware, sitting behind this desk in the oval office. That’s the magic of America, it’s all around us.” He remembers the painting of the Statue of liberty in the second floor of the building. In the painting there are several workers who climbed the outstretched arm of the statue that hold the torch. He mentioned the importance of the statue of Liberty, and how it reminds of the story of the soul of the nation and the power of the workers, a veteran, son of an immigrant who polished the amber panes of the Statue of Liberty’s flame. So that the rays reach as far as possible. That worker was known as the ‘keeper of the flame.’ This story speaks the universal language. One of hope. Anyone who speaks of freedom can understand. He said, “Yes, the statue sways back and forth and a constant struggle. A short distance between peril and possibility. What I believe is the America of our dreams is closer than we believe. It’s up to us to make our dreams come true.” He closed with thanking his members of his administration and first responders for their service, and he mentioned the honor of being able to lead the servicemen as Commander in Chief. He thanked Kamala and her partner, and his first lady and wife, and their family, and also said an eternal thanks to the American people. After 50 years of public service, he still believes in the idea for which this nation stands. The nation where the strength of its institutions and the character of the people matter and must endure. And called for all to stand guard, and may all be keepers of the flame, and may all keep the faith. “God Bless you all, and May God protect the troops. Thank you for this great honor.” closed his farewell speech.
|
Long time ago, an iron worker installed a beam after beam, joined by stone workers. A single structure and a beacon a freedom was built - - the Statue of Liberty. A gift of France was built not by one person but by a team of steelworkers and masons. The statue does not stay still, she sways in the wind a few inches, but never falls into the current below. An engineering marvel. -Joe Biden, Farewell speech A free and independent press, courts, congress they echo the words of Declaration of Independence: “We Hold these truths to be self evident.” are rooted in the words of constitution “We the People.” Our system of separation of powers, and checks and balances, it may not be perfect but its held for 250 years of democracy. Longer than any nation in history that ever tried such a bold experiment. For the past four years our democracy has held strong. He affirmed that, “He’s held his promise and commitment to be the president for all people in America. One of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. - Joe Biden, Farewell speech Participating in our democracy, becomes exhausting and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot. A fair shot that makes America, America. Everyone is entitled to a fair shot, not a guarantee. An even playing field. Going as far as your hard work and talent can take you. You can never lose that essential truth. He’s always told foreign leaders that America can be defined by one word ‘Possibilities.’ Only in America do we believe that anything is possible. Like the Kid with a stutter from modest beginning in Scranton Pennsylvania and Claymont Delaware, sitting behind this desk in the oval office. That’s the magic of America, it’s all around us. - Joe Biden, Farewell speech God Bless you all, and May God protect the troops. Thank you for this great honor. - Joe Biden, former president |
Filmmaker David Lynch to teach on how to deal with stress
September 27, 2005, originally published in Temple News
by Olga Dvornikova
Celebrated film director David Lynch returns to Philadelphia to speak about “Consciousness, Creativity, and the Brain.”
This lecture is the first of many initiatives of his new foundation that helps students overcome stress though meditation. The free lecture will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Harrison Auditorium at University of Pennsylvania.
Lynch will field questions about his upcoming film Inland Empire, due for a 2006 release. This year he plans to launch the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness Based Education and World Peace, a national non-profit organization aimed at bringing the benefits of stress-reducing meditation to students.
He started practicing transcendental meditation in 1973 while living in Los Angeles, Calif.
“I got the idea to start the foundation from my own benefits,” Lynch said. “My foundation raises money to any student who is interested in meditation. Our goal is to send a wave of peace across the world and United States and get the country out of negativity and suffering.”
Although Lynch is better known for his mysterious and haunting films Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway, he does not see a discrepancy between his films and his foundation.
“All ideas are coming from the same place,” he said. “The medium of ideas is a thrilling thing to me. Through meditation you learn to dive within and everything gets better as a result.”
Lynch said he has a deep respect for all artists and various kinds of media. He is a painter, sculptor, furniture designer, songwriter, author and producer. Lynch even began his creative journey at Philadelphia’s own Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he first became interested in film. There he made four short films with grants from the American Film Institute.
Lynch said he respects the works of filmmakers Frederico Felini, Igmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock. Last year, the British newspaper the Guardian named Lynch the world’s best film director of the past 40 years.
His talk at Penn will also feature brain researcher Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of nuclear medicine at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and quantum physicist, Jon Hagelin, who was recently featured in the documentary What the Beep Do We Know? and neuroscientist Fred Travis, director of Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management.
SPEC Film, SPEC Connaissance, Fox Leadership and Cinema Studies are sponsoring Lynch’s talk. For more information call (215) 898-6533 or visit www.davidlynchfoundation.org.
by Olga Dvornikova
Celebrated film director David Lynch returns to Philadelphia to speak about “Consciousness, Creativity, and the Brain.”
This lecture is the first of many initiatives of his new foundation that helps students overcome stress though meditation. The free lecture will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Harrison Auditorium at University of Pennsylvania.
Lynch will field questions about his upcoming film Inland Empire, due for a 2006 release. This year he plans to launch the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness Based Education and World Peace, a national non-profit organization aimed at bringing the benefits of stress-reducing meditation to students.
He started practicing transcendental meditation in 1973 while living in Los Angeles, Calif.
“I got the idea to start the foundation from my own benefits,” Lynch said. “My foundation raises money to any student who is interested in meditation. Our goal is to send a wave of peace across the world and United States and get the country out of negativity and suffering.”
Although Lynch is better known for his mysterious and haunting films Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway, he does not see a discrepancy between his films and his foundation.
“All ideas are coming from the same place,” he said. “The medium of ideas is a thrilling thing to me. Through meditation you learn to dive within and everything gets better as a result.”
Lynch said he has a deep respect for all artists and various kinds of media. He is a painter, sculptor, furniture designer, songwriter, author and producer. Lynch even began his creative journey at Philadelphia’s own Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he first became interested in film. There he made four short films with grants from the American Film Institute.
Lynch said he respects the works of filmmakers Frederico Felini, Igmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock. Last year, the British newspaper the Guardian named Lynch the world’s best film director of the past 40 years.
His talk at Penn will also feature brain researcher Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of nuclear medicine at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and quantum physicist, Jon Hagelin, who was recently featured in the documentary What the Beep Do We Know? and neuroscientist Fred Travis, director of Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management.
SPEC Film, SPEC Connaissance, Fox Leadership and Cinema Studies are sponsoring Lynch’s talk. For more information call (215) 898-6533 or visit www.davidlynchfoundation.org.
Tyler brings art to Main campus
October 8, 2004, originally published in Temple News
by Olga Dvornikova
About 10 students at the Tyler School of Art have been offered a new showcase for their work: an art exhibit at the Tuttleman Counseling Center (TCC) on Main campus.
The artists’ group Tyler Christian Fellowship created the exhibit, appropriately titled Welcome Tyler to Main I, to decorate the otherwise ordinary walls of TCC in the lower level of Sullivan Hall.
Jeremy Frank, a staff psychologist at TCC, originally proposed the idea for the exhibit. Traveling from Tyler to Main Campuses to treat different students, Frank had the idea to splash some life into the otherwise clinical space of the counseling office.
The idea was sent to Tyler’s Student Life Office where Deb Martin spoke with Dionn Williams, an outreach coordinator for Tyler Christian Fellowship (TCF) and painting major, about the idea for an exhibit possibility.
Williams quickly brought the TFC students together and coordinated the exhibit with Frank. The TFC students curated the exhibit this time around, but in the later exhibits there is a possibility that art history majors would collaborate to create the exhibit with art majors at Tyler, Frank explained.
“Having art on the counseling center walls sends a powerful message to students seeking professional help and shows that there are people who care for students who are struggling with problems,” said Frank. “Many students have come before you and the work celebrates the space and therefore the process through which students seek help.”
One student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that therapy at the center feels more positive because of the beauty that the exhibit brought to the space.
The exhibit had an official opening on October 1st and will run through the end of the semester. Next semester a new group of artists such as the Tyler Student Government or the Intellectual Heritage club will showcase their work at the center.
“We wanted to make a positive atmosphere for the center because students already bring their own problems when they go to the center,” said Williams. “We made sure to that the art we hung up wasn’t too controversial, too violent, too sexual, or too religious.”
Williams created one particular work featured in the exhibit, “Infanzia,” when she studied abroad in Rome, Italy under Stanley Whitney.
“My art work reflects many styles because I get bored quickly with my own work, said Williams. “As a result I teach myself new techniques and new ways of expressing myself. My emotions play a big role in my work - I pour my emotions like anger or love onto the canvas. It’s like taking a picture of something invisible and then I don’t have to talk about them.”
The feedback that the art students have been receiving has been completely positive. Williams already sold two of her painting even prior to the exhibit. Over 25 works - among them photographs and paintings - remain to be sold.
The exhibit also addresses the long awaited move of Tyler’s Elkins Park Campus to Main Campus. “Hopefully, this exhibit will be a domino effect, where other art students will follow in our footsteps and Temple will be a unified college. When we go to the same school as students on Broad Street, we won’t be afraid to move to Main campus,” Williams explained.
“Also this opportunity taught us that Main campus students are nice and we are on the same team.”
Tyler’s complete move to main campus has been awaited since 1999, according to Tyler graduate Baylor. “The move to Main Campus is still very vague and nobody has any solid information on the exact date,” said Baylor. “Tyler students are not worried about the move because they have so much work to do. It’s the least of their worries.”
Prospective buyers can inquire about artwork prices at the front desk or directly e-mail the artists, whose e-mail addresses are directly available through the Cherry and White Pages. For more information on Tyler Christian Fellowship e-mail [email protected].
© Olga Dvornikova
by Olga Dvornikova
About 10 students at the Tyler School of Art have been offered a new showcase for their work: an art exhibit at the Tuttleman Counseling Center (TCC) on Main campus.
The artists’ group Tyler Christian Fellowship created the exhibit, appropriately titled Welcome Tyler to Main I, to decorate the otherwise ordinary walls of TCC in the lower level of Sullivan Hall.
Jeremy Frank, a staff psychologist at TCC, originally proposed the idea for the exhibit. Traveling from Tyler to Main Campuses to treat different students, Frank had the idea to splash some life into the otherwise clinical space of the counseling office.
The idea was sent to Tyler’s Student Life Office where Deb Martin spoke with Dionn Williams, an outreach coordinator for Tyler Christian Fellowship (TCF) and painting major, about the idea for an exhibit possibility.
Williams quickly brought the TFC students together and coordinated the exhibit with Frank. The TFC students curated the exhibit this time around, but in the later exhibits there is a possibility that art history majors would collaborate to create the exhibit with art majors at Tyler, Frank explained.
“Having art on the counseling center walls sends a powerful message to students seeking professional help and shows that there are people who care for students who are struggling with problems,” said Frank. “Many students have come before you and the work celebrates the space and therefore the process through which students seek help.”
One student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that therapy at the center feels more positive because of the beauty that the exhibit brought to the space.
The exhibit had an official opening on October 1st and will run through the end of the semester. Next semester a new group of artists such as the Tyler Student Government or the Intellectual Heritage club will showcase their work at the center.
“We wanted to make a positive atmosphere for the center because students already bring their own problems when they go to the center,” said Williams. “We made sure to that the art we hung up wasn’t too controversial, too violent, too sexual, or too religious.”
Williams created one particular work featured in the exhibit, “Infanzia,” when she studied abroad in Rome, Italy under Stanley Whitney.
“My art work reflects many styles because I get bored quickly with my own work, said Williams. “As a result I teach myself new techniques and new ways of expressing myself. My emotions play a big role in my work - I pour my emotions like anger or love onto the canvas. It’s like taking a picture of something invisible and then I don’t have to talk about them.”
The feedback that the art students have been receiving has been completely positive. Williams already sold two of her painting even prior to the exhibit. Over 25 works - among them photographs and paintings - remain to be sold.
The exhibit also addresses the long awaited move of Tyler’s Elkins Park Campus to Main Campus. “Hopefully, this exhibit will be a domino effect, where other art students will follow in our footsteps and Temple will be a unified college. When we go to the same school as students on Broad Street, we won’t be afraid to move to Main campus,” Williams explained.
“Also this opportunity taught us that Main campus students are nice and we are on the same team.”
Tyler’s complete move to main campus has been awaited since 1999, according to Tyler graduate Baylor. “The move to Main Campus is still very vague and nobody has any solid information on the exact date,” said Baylor. “Tyler students are not worried about the move because they have so much work to do. It’s the least of their worries.”
Prospective buyers can inquire about artwork prices at the front desk or directly e-mail the artists, whose e-mail addresses are directly available through the Cherry and White Pages. For more information on Tyler Christian Fellowship e-mail [email protected].
© Olga Dvornikova
Alumni donations increase
October 1, 2004, originally published in Temple News
by Olga Dvornikova
Walking around Temple on a regular day any student can notice the construction around the Student Center or at 1800 Liacouras Walk. Most of the renovations are afforded by alumni funding which has shown a steady rise in recent years.
“In the year that included Sept. 11, [2001] and after, we raised $37.77 million, which was an increase from previous years,” Caulfield said.
Fundraising rose to $44.41 million in fiscal year 2002 and $50.30 million in fiscal year 2003. The steady rise of Temple fundraising and donations can be attributed to Stuart Sullivan, said Mark Eyerly, Temple’s chief communications officer.
Sullivan took the office of vice-president in 2001 and has renewed emphasis on alumni development. He also reorganized and reenergized a better relationship with the alumni which in turn generated more donations. An example of his reorganization is the development of alumni staff in all schools and colleges.
New plans are underway for the next several years involving a total of $400 million in reconstruction and renovation.
The first part of the plan is to move the Tyler School of Art to the main campus.
“The new $75 million project will bring Tyler’s 120 faculty and nearly 800 students to a new 255,000-square-foot building on the university’s Main campus,” Eyerly said. He added that $58 million came from funding from the state and the remainder came from university fundraising.
The Fox School of Business and Management will also undergo expansion in the next several years. The $78 million project will include approximately 190,000 square feet of new construction. Tentative plans include expanding the school into the location where Curtis Hall presently stands. The Curtis Hall facilities will then move to 1800 Liacouras Walk once they are renovated.
The recently completed Entertainment and Community Education Center (ECEC) cost $16.3 million to build. ECEC is a 61,000-square-foot structure providing street-level retail. On the second-floor it houses broadcast facilities for WRTI, Temple’s public radio station. The station has a performance studio for live broadcasts.
“The studio can be leased by cultural organizations for making commercial-quality recordings,” Eyerly said. “The new facility will leverage the power of broadcasting to the benefit of Philadelphia’s cultural community.
The facility also houses Temple’s Partnership Schools program, a collaborative effort linking the University, the School District of Philadelphia, and six public schools in the surrounding neighborhoods. It serves as a major resource for community residents, providing access to job listings, computers, and educational and meeting space.
The other fundrasing money goes into the $20 million effort to upgrade and renovate laboratories and research facilities, along with the extensive recruitment of new faculty to tenured and tenure-track positions. The other plan is to have a second phase of renovations to the University’s Student Center, which will add 86,000 square feet to this hub of student activity at a cost of $30 million.
Further renovation is planned to occur on a string of historic townhouses along the 1800 block of Liacouras Walk. The renovation will maintain and restore the building’s historic facade while housing essential student services, including health care, advising and the Academic Resource Center.
Another plan is to design and construct for the Temple’s Health Sciences Center a new $150 million School of Medicine. Also, a new $18 million learning center is being designed for the Ambler campus. The center will provide smart classrooms, computer laboratories, a visual art studio, a distance learning facility, student lounges, an auditorium and other instructional areas for writing, math and science.
Finally, the university is in the midst of a $29 million restoration of the long-vacant and historically significant Baptist Temple, constructed in 1878 by the congregation of Temple’s founder, Dr. Russell Conwell.
© Olga Dvornikova
by Olga Dvornikova
Walking around Temple on a regular day any student can notice the construction around the Student Center or at 1800 Liacouras Walk. Most of the renovations are afforded by alumni funding which has shown a steady rise in recent years.
“In the year that included Sept. 11, [2001] and after, we raised $37.77 million, which was an increase from previous years,” Caulfield said.
Fundraising rose to $44.41 million in fiscal year 2002 and $50.30 million in fiscal year 2003. The steady rise of Temple fundraising and donations can be attributed to Stuart Sullivan, said Mark Eyerly, Temple’s chief communications officer.
Sullivan took the office of vice-president in 2001 and has renewed emphasis on alumni development. He also reorganized and reenergized a better relationship with the alumni which in turn generated more donations. An example of his reorganization is the development of alumni staff in all schools and colleges.
New plans are underway for the next several years involving a total of $400 million in reconstruction and renovation.
The first part of the plan is to move the Tyler School of Art to the main campus.
“The new $75 million project will bring Tyler’s 120 faculty and nearly 800 students to a new 255,000-square-foot building on the university’s Main campus,” Eyerly said. He added that $58 million came from funding from the state and the remainder came from university fundraising.
The Fox School of Business and Management will also undergo expansion in the next several years. The $78 million project will include approximately 190,000 square feet of new construction. Tentative plans include expanding the school into the location where Curtis Hall presently stands. The Curtis Hall facilities will then move to 1800 Liacouras Walk once they are renovated.
The recently completed Entertainment and Community Education Center (ECEC) cost $16.3 million to build. ECEC is a 61,000-square-foot structure providing street-level retail. On the second-floor it houses broadcast facilities for WRTI, Temple’s public radio station. The station has a performance studio for live broadcasts.
“The studio can be leased by cultural organizations for making commercial-quality recordings,” Eyerly said. “The new facility will leverage the power of broadcasting to the benefit of Philadelphia’s cultural community.
The facility also houses Temple’s Partnership Schools program, a collaborative effort linking the University, the School District of Philadelphia, and six public schools in the surrounding neighborhoods. It serves as a major resource for community residents, providing access to job listings, computers, and educational and meeting space.
The other fundrasing money goes into the $20 million effort to upgrade and renovate laboratories and research facilities, along with the extensive recruitment of new faculty to tenured and tenure-track positions. The other plan is to have a second phase of renovations to the University’s Student Center, which will add 86,000 square feet to this hub of student activity at a cost of $30 million.
Further renovation is planned to occur on a string of historic townhouses along the 1800 block of Liacouras Walk. The renovation will maintain and restore the building’s historic facade while housing essential student services, including health care, advising and the Academic Resource Center.
Another plan is to design and construct for the Temple’s Health Sciences Center a new $150 million School of Medicine. Also, a new $18 million learning center is being designed for the Ambler campus. The center will provide smart classrooms, computer laboratories, a visual art studio, a distance learning facility, student lounges, an auditorium and other instructional areas for writing, math and science.
Finally, the university is in the midst of a $29 million restoration of the long-vacant and historically significant Baptist Temple, constructed in 1878 by the congregation of Temple’s founder, Dr. Russell Conwell.
© Olga Dvornikova