Kylie McGovern, Editor

Header Image: lasalle.edu

On Friday, Sept. 24, La Salle Residence Life sent a notice via email about updates to the residential guest policy. Prior to this update, the policy permitted only students of the same residential areas to visit one another. However, now the visitor policy has been adjusted to allow for residential students to visit any of the residence halls. This policy was updated because the majority of La Salle’s residential students have been properly following the COVID-19 visiting policies designed to keep everyone in the community safe from transmitting the virus.

La Salle’s Residential department stated the amendment to the policy in an email to students, stating, “[The modification to the guest policy is now to] allow all residential students to visit any residence halls. The policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, under the advice of our COVID-19 Response Team that will be monitoring the number of campus COVID-19 cases, student conduct cases, and the impact of contact tracing.” The new rules explain that  including the host or hosts up to four students can be in a residence hall room, and up to six students can be in an apartment, and up to ten students can visit any given townhouse at a time. In addition, face masks are required in residence hall rooms any time guests are visiting. While visiting, the guest must be escorted by their host at all times. 

The Visitor Registration Program is conducted on the internet and utilizes email and text. The student will get a Day Visitor Pass that starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. If a student plans to have guests after 11:59 pm, you will need to request an Overnight Visitor Pass. An overnight visitor pass is active from noon-11:59 a.m. the next morning. However,if a student wants to have family members visit, the visit must take place on the main campus or outside of a student’s residential community “in open-air spaces.”  

La Salle students are excited about this adjustment of policy. For sophomore Ceara Grady, this policy adjustment is a step towards a more normal college experience amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Grady’s freshmen year was heavily impacted by COVID-19 policies to keep the community safe. Therefore, she was unable to connect with her classmates the way she will now be able to with the adjusted visitation policies. Grady explains that she is “so excited that my friends can come hang out and study in my townhouse now.”

Kylie McGovern, editor

Crystal Bradley speaking outside of her store front in West Oak Lane. Via PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS

On Sept. 15, Philadelphia’s City Council released a new funding plan for a Neighborhood Preservation Initiative. Council members announced the plan outside of a local shop called Gilben’s bakery. Gilben’s is about ten minutes away from La Salle. The Neighborhood Preservation Initiative will benefit businesses like Gilben’s bakery as well as the surrounding areas. The owner of Gilben’s Bakery, Crystal Bradley will receive commercial corridor revitalization and support from city commerce officials similar to the support planned for under the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative. Bradley said, “Thanks to the city, our storefront and sidewalk are clean and orderly and our signage is attractive to our customers. It makes them feel comfortable to come and shop here. I’m very glad to hear the city plans to invest in commercial corridor revitalization all across Philadelphia.” Gilben’s Bakery is on a commercial corridor that the city has cleaned. The shop also received city aid for a new brick facade that allowed Bradley and her co-owner Crystal Brown to employ 10 more people in their store.

 In addition to helping businesses, Philadelphia’s new Neighborhood Preservation Initiative offers $400 million to support first-time home buyers, fund home repairs and create affordable housing. The plan also allocates $113 million to affordable housing production and $64.6 million to affordable housing preservation. In addition, $58 million will be used for programs supporting first-time home buyers and $38 million for those providing home repairs. All additional funding will go towards infrastructure improvements programs, permanent housing for people experiencing homeless, business revitalization, rent assistance, eviction prevention and tangle title support. Funding for the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative will come from tax-exempt and taxable bonds that will generate a total of approximately $400 million in program funds over four years. President of the City Council Darrell Clarke explained that the Council is predicting that the $400 million investment will spur a total of $2.6 billion in economic activity for the city of Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. 

Clarke describes the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative as “the largest, single investment in Philadelphia neighborhoods in city history. For decades, neighborhoods like Juniata Park, West Oak Lane, Wynnefield and others didn’t need much support, as they were relatively stable. But a variety of economic factors have caused declines in our neighborhoods — and they need the city’s help and support.” With COVID-19 impacting the residents of the area economically, this initiative is important now more than ever and will benefit the entire city, but especially neighborhoods near La Salle University. 

Kylie McGovern, Editor

Beginning the week of September 5 2021, film crew set up around and inside the TruMark Financial Center and the surrounding areas to film the movie “Hustle” starring Adam Sandler. La Salle students gathered around the area and the excitement of the film to catch a glimpse of Sandler and his co-stars like Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall, Ben Foster, Juancho Hernangomez, Jordan Hull, Maria Botto, Ainhoa Pillet and Kenny Smith. IMDb describes “Hustle” as a movie featuring “a washed-up basketball scout discovers a phenomenal street ball player while in China and sees the prospect as his opportunity to get back into the NBA.”

Filming for the movie began in October of last year and has taken place in areas around Philadelphia such as Coatesville Area High School, Center City Philadelphia, Market Street, the Italian Market, Manayunk and South Philadelphia. La Salle was the ideal location to film the movie because of the easy access to both the indoor and outdoor basketball courts. There were signs throughout La Salle’s campus directing people towards the set, which was located inside and outside of Tom Gola Arena near Founders Hall, on Olney Avenue and Wister Street, and near the Blue and Gold Commons. In addition to this, parking notices began to show up on Aug. 30, which stated, “Beginning this Thursday, Sept. 2, a large multi-day event will limit or prohibit parking in certain University-owned parking lots. Please see important information below regarding which lots will be affected and where you can access parking throughout the entirety

of the event.” This parking lot was then filled with trailers, cars, craft service trucks and tents to support and keep the movie’s cast and crew comfortable.

During Filming, the sidewalk between the St. Miguel Court townhouses and the TruMark Financial Center was packed with students waiting between classes to see the star. September 9 was Sandler’s birthday and students gathered about the set with signs and balloons. While waiting, Claire Ortiz, a sophomore, said “I was able to connect with the other students waiting and make friends with people I would not have met before bonding over our mutual love for Adam Sandler.” Students even waited in the rain to see Sandler on his 55th birthday. Later that afternoon, the La Salle students who waited to see Sandler were able to sing him “Happy Birthday.” Honored and surprised, Sandler filmed and posted the video of everyone singing to him on his Instagram account @adamsandler.

This video now has over two million views and over five hundred thousand likes. Unfortunately, some students missed seeing Sandler. Sophomore Grace McKenna said “I didn’t actually see him. I just waited out in the rain for a while.” But, some students were fortunate enough to meet Sandler and his bulldog Bagel. Bagel ran into the crowd and the students waiting got to pet him. In addition to the excitement of the students, Sandler himself enjoyed his time on 20th and Olney. A crew member reported to the crowd that Sandler “loves your campus.”

Kylie McGovern, Editor

Header image: Tim O’Shaughnessy via @lasalleuniv on Instagram

On Monday, May 3, the La Salle University Board of Trustees and William Matthews sent an email to the Lasallian community announcing the new interim president. Previous Executive Vice President Tim O’Shaughnessy, ’85, will serve as the interim president beginning on June 1. This email announcement explained why the Board of Trustees was appointing an interim president rather than a permanent one and explained the process of finding a permanent president. 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Matthews wished Dr. Hanycz success in her new position at Xavier University. The email read, “the Board thanks Dr. Hanycz for six years of outstanding service and dedication to La Salle and wishes her and her family well as she begins this next chapter in her personal and professional journey.” In addition, the Board of Trustees commended Dr. Hanycz’s “forward momentum” and they want to continue this success with the next president at La Salle. 

In terms of choosing an interim president rather than a permanent president, the Board of Trustees sees the presidential search process requiring a significant amount of time and thoroughness. O’Shaughnessy is not a candidate for the permanent position, but he will serve as interim president during the presidential search process. The Board of Trustees wanted an interim president with senior administrative experience, a knowledge of Philadelphian Catholic education, an understanding of La Salle University and a commitment to the Lasallian mission. Interim President O’Shaughnessy will bring all of these qualities to his role according to the Board.

As for the search for a permanent president, there will be opportunities for the entire La Salle community to participate in the national search for the University’s 30th President. There will be a committee composed of faculty, staff, students, Christian Brothers, Trustees and alumni to create a broad representation of the entire La Salle community. Nominations for the University Presidential Search Committee are open until May 17. The Board of Trustees expects that a search committee will be established by July 1. After the committee is formed there will be listening sessions with the La Salle community on campus during the Fall 2021 semester. The Board of Trustees’ goal is to find and announce a new president in 2022.