Sam Klein, Editor

PHILADELPHIA – As the weather gets colder, the insatiable desire for a sweet treat remains. While most ice cream stands begin to close down as the temperature decreases, one frozen yogurt shop is dedicated to delivering premium services year-round. 

Chill on the Hill, located in Chestnut Hill, is a self-serve frozen yogurt shop open six days a week from 12 – 9 p.m. There are 10 flavors to choose from daily with two vegan and one sugar free option. Customers are able to come in, choose their flavor and include any of the 40 available toppings, ranging from fresh fruit to candy. Finishing off their yogurt with any of the six different sauces, customers then place their filled cups on the scale to determine the cost of their gooey goodness. 

Yet, it isn’t the self-serve nature of Chill on the Hill that makes it so special, nor the attraction of an all-year-round chilly treat. Rather, community is the foundation of Chill on the Hill and what keeps customers coming back again and again. 

Owner of Chill on the Hill, Michael Hurst, purchased the business over three years ago for one sole purpose: the neighborhood location and overarching it’s community climate.

“People have been coming here for years,” Hurst says. “Those relationships and those people that we see coming back and coming back because this is a part of their community – it’s a part of their life, that’s what’s important to me.” 

As part of serving the community, Chill on the Hill offers both event inquiries, such as birthday parties, and fundraising opportunities to local schools and organizations. As a result of partnering with Chill on the Hill, they donate a percentage of their total profits to said organization and are willing to partner with any organization in need. If you or someone you know is interested, check out their application here. 

Hurst runs Chill on the Hill as part of a larger family business, using his wife and kids as fuel to make everything they do for the community that much more important. Interacting with families as if they were his own serve as an unofficial mantra for Hurst, as he remembers details about the lives of repeat customers and their families who are a part of the Chill on the Hill community.

“My favorite part of owning Chill on the Hill is the people I meet each day- a lot of new and repeat customers,” Hurst says. “I know a lot of people by their first name, I know their kids, I know where their kids go to school. That is just because of owning this business and being here.”  

The community mindset exists beyond the owners, however, and comes from the employees that make Chill on the Hill a special place as well. Elena, one Chill on the Hill employee, enjoys coming to work every day because it is more than just a job – rather, “a reprieve.”  

“Chill on the Hill is a home away from home. You can relax, wind down and get something yummy to eat,” Elena says. The joy that new and repeat customers alike embody is what creates the store atmosphere that Elena “feeds off of.” 

“We’d love for people to stop by regardless of if you’re in the area or not,” Elena says, as she is “eager to meet new people,” each day when she comes into work.

To stop by and try Chill on the Hill’s fantastic frozen yogurt for yourself, visit the store at 5 E Highland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118, or you can check out their website, Instagram or feature on La Salle TV’s recent episode of “Just Next Door” to learn more! 

Want another sweet treat? Use this article as a coupon to get 15% off of one cup, regardless of weight (only to be redeemed once). Simply print out, show at the register and enjoy this legend-dairy deal!

Jamila Robinson, Staff Writer

Living in a city with a robust mass transit system makes getting around easier, and often, the fastest way to navigate is by utilizing public transportation. For those unfamiliar, SEPTA offers a convenient option for commuting to and from campus while also allowing for enjoyable leisure time in the city. If you’re not yet comfortable using the system, I’d like to share a brief guide to help you out. Many, if not most, residents rely on public transport to travel throughout the city.

SEPTA currently operates across five counties in the greater Philadelphia area and connects with transit systems in New Jersey and Delaware. It’s worth noting that it can sometimes be unreliable, crowded, slow, or even not available. However, for the most part, it remains a dependable means of transportation within Philadelphia and its surrounding areas. Whether you’re a visitor, a novice, or an experienced traveler, you’ll eventually need to utilize the public transportation system.

I would advise that you be alert and vigilant in your travels and stay aware of your surroundings at all times. If it looks suspicious, keep away. If you see something, report it and keep it moving. Your safety should be the number one priority at all times. You will come in contact with all walks of life, so be courteous and keep your head on a swivel.

SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, commonly referred to as the “Orange Line,” can be accessed from campus at the Olney Transportation Center. Here, you can catch both local and express trains, as the subway travels north and south along Broad Street. Once you arrive in Center City, depending on your destination, you have the option to switch to the Market-Frankford Line, known as the “Blue Line”. This line runs from the  Far Northeast to 69th Street Transportation Center in Delaware County, with connections to the Norristown High Speed Line. Additionally, SEPTA’s trolley services, often called the “Green Line,” will take you to West Philadelphia and even further into Delaware County.

Unfortunately, there is no place on campus to obtain any SEPTA products, however, the Olney Transportation Center is easily accessible for all purchases; you can reload funds to your SEPTA Key Card via the website which is highly recommended for safe and easier processing. It is also very easy to add purchases to your card and order a replacement if needed. 

You can make purchases online via the SEPTA website here. Now, let’s get to cost:

• $2.00 – fare for a one-way fare using SEPTA’s Key Card, contactless payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.), and KeyTix via SEPTA’s app.
• $2.50 – a one-way fare on transit using cash or SEPTA’s Quick Trip card
• $25.50 – for a weekly TransPass+ for use within city limits
• $96.00 – for a monthly TransPass+ for use within city limits

This is only the basics of what the traveling experience can be like on SEPTA; all this will remain the same while SEPTA navigates financial issues. They have a $240 million operating deficit, and the state legislature has yet to solidify a deal for public transit funding for this fiscal year despite mounting pressure from the transit agency. The public transit system is the lifeblood of the city’s economy. People use it to get to work, get their kids to school and it impacts every aspect of day-to-day life for many Philadelphians. These funding issues will affect the SEPTA and the roads and bridges throughout Pennsylvania. If the transit agency doesn’t get funded, it will have to cut services that it currently provides.

Cuts to service could look like sales offices closing, making it difficult to make purchases. Fare increases affecting us all, bus route replacements (with some being removed), and SEPTA access programs being downsized are all options the agency must consider. This would cripple the city and cause the funding deficit to worsen. A strike could happen for the current Transit Workers Union (TWU) whose contract expires in November 2024, and transit employees have gone on strike before. SEPTA is hopeful to reach an agreement during the ongoing negotiations.

Sean Bradley, Staff

Spring has officially sprung, and many flowers are in full bloom. In this Nature at La Salle article, we’ll learn about three native spring flowers that you can find on campus. 

Virginia Bluebells

The first flower we’ll learn about are Virginia bluebells. This lovely, spring ephemeral gets its name from its small, blue, bell-shaped flowers. The flowers grow in clusters off of arching stems from erect clumps with smooth green, oval-shaped, alternative leaves and start as purplish pink buds before blooming into blue flowers. The flowers are tube-shaped and consist of five petals, with five white stamens and a long, white, central pistil. The flowers also attract many pollinators, including bumblebees, butterflies, moths, flower flies and hummingbirds. Once pollinated, the flowers produce wrinkled nuts that each have four seeds: these seeds eventually grow into new plants the following year. As a native species, Virginia bluebells occur naturally in moist woodlands and floodplain forests and are often planted in woodland gardens for their beauty. Here on campus, you can find Virginia bluebells growing in the university’s woodland garden on the Hansen Quad near College Hall. 

Eastern Redbud 

The next flower we’ll learn about comes from a flowering tree known as the eastern redbud. This species is also native to our area and grows naturally as an understory tree in forests with moist, well-drained soils. The eastern redbud is a cauliflorous tree (flowering from the main stems) and gets its name from the pink flowers that grow on and cover the tree’s twigs and branches in springtime. The flowers come in clusters of four to eight flowers and can come in colors, such as pink, magenta and white. Each flower has five petals and 10 stamens. The flowers are also a source of nectar for pollinators, such as bumblebees and honeybees. And believe it or not, the flowers are even edible and are high in vitamin C. They can be eaten raw or added to salads. Here on campus, eastern redbuds can be found along the path leading to the Communication Center as well as in the university’s woodland garden and lawn on the Hansen Quad. 

Flowering Dogwood 

Finally, the last flower we’ll learn about also comes from a flowering tree and is often regarded as the most beautiful native flowering tree in  all of eastern North America. It is the one and only flowering dogwood. Each spring, these small, lovely trees produce showy flowers from a spreading crown of branches. The flowers consist of a cluster of greenish-yellow petals surrounded by four showy bracts that come in white or pink. The flowers also attract bees, flies and butterflies. Here on campus, flowering dogwoods can be seen growing near St. Benilde Tower and along the path down to the Communication Center. There are also a few growing near the Independence Blue Cross Fitness Center and the gazebo. 

So, the next time you’re out on a nice, sunny spring day on campus, take some time to appreciate these three beautiful native spring flowers around La Salle.

Sean Bradley, Staff

The American robin is a songbird familiar to many and has long been considered a sign of spring. However, contrary to popular belief, most robins in Philadelphia are found here year-round. In this Nature at La Salle article, we’ll learn about a songbird that would be a better harbinger of spring, which is Sayornis phoebe, or more commonly known as the Eastern Phoebe.

Measuring about five to six inches, weighing less than an ounce, and with a 10 to 11-inch wingspan, the Eastern Phoebe is a rather drab bird. Its plumage on the back and wings is grayish brown, with the wings each having two bars. Its forehead is dark brown, and its bill is black. Its throat is white, and its chest and belly are pale gray but change to faint yellow in the fall. Lastly, its legs and feet are black.

Despite its dull appearance, the Eastern Phoebe is still an interesting bird. For one thing, the species gets its name from its distinct fee-bee song. Found in the tyrant flycatcher family (Tyrannidae), Eastern Phoebes, like all tyrant flycatchers, engage in a flycatching behavior, often perching and waiting patiently for insects to fly by before catching those insects in short flights and returning to the same perch. When perching, they also have a cute habit of wagging their tail up and down. Eastern Phoebes are also quite adaptable and are found in a variety of habitats, including woodland edges, stream sides, and farmlands. Not only do they nest in natural settings, like rock outcrops and streambanks, but they also nest on human structures, like bridges and buildings. They typically nest in areas near water and with woody understory vegetation. The nests are open cups with mud bases and are lined with moss, grass, and animal hair. Females lay two to six eggs, and both parents raise two broods per year. Additionally, unlike most North American birds whose populations have declined, eastern phoebe populations have increased in the last five decades, partly due to their ability to adapt to urban settings.

So, why is the Eastern Phoebe a better sign of spring as opposed to the American robin? Well, unlike robins which are year-round residents in Philadelphia, Eastern Phoebes are migratory. They spend the spring and summer months in the northern United States and southern Canada and migrate south and winter in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Since they’re short-distance migrants, Eastern Phoebes are one of the first migrants to return north, returning as early as March, as well as one of the last migrants to migrate south, leaving as late as November. 

Additionally, while robins are omnivorous (feeding on earthworms and fruit), Eastern Phoebes are insectivorous, meaning their diet consists entirely of insects. When insects become less abundant as the weather cools, eastern phoebes migrate to warmer climes where insects are more plentiful.
So, if you see a small, grayish-brown bird perched wagging its tail on a warm day in March, then surely enough spring is here.