Dozens of local filmgoers piled into theatres across Philadelphia to celebrate Jewish filmmakers across the world for two weeks in November. The Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival kicked off its 38th annual celebrations at the Philadelphia Film Center Nov. 3.

The festival, which concluded Nov. 18, hosted local screenings of over 30 films. These stories were produced in 12 different countries and screened over 11 different venues across Philadelphia. The festival was sponsored by the Gershman Y but the venues for the screenings included the Ritz East, The Clef Club of Jazz, the University of Pennsylvania, along with other local spots. Tickets for the screenings could be purchased online or at the theatres box office while students could attend screenings at the Gershman Y for free.

The catalog of movies this festival season served as a reflection of today’s troubling political climate.

“As you peruse this seasons offerings, you may notice that more than a few films resonate with your own experience or seem to address the kinds of issues we’ve been collectively grappling with as a country,” Olivia Antsis, the festival’s Executive Artistic Director, wrote in a letter for the event’s brochure.

Several of the films served as a reminder of the world’s unforgiving past with documentaries and short films about the Holocaust, while others showcased more modern stories.         

“Satan and Adam” is a documentary that was screened Nov. 14 at the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts Nov. 14. Moviegoers sat in the club’s unique theater accompanied by drinks from the theater’s small bar and idle conversation before the movie began.

The film shares the story of a young Jewish harmonica player, Adam Gussow, who begins an unlikely musical duo with singer and guitarist Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee. The story chronicles the duo’s story of success and demise, featuring a discussion of racial disparity and mental illness: two themes that are not new revelations for most moviegoers.

Mary Hahn, 53, attended the screening with her husband and friends as a veteran of the film festival.

“We come every year”, Mary explained. “It’s important that people take time out of their day to experience different cultures. It builds tolerance out of ignorance.”

“Satan and Adam” was a segment of the festival and it appealed to both fans of films and fans of music. The film features bits of soulful jazz music that filled the room and caused several people in the theater to dance in their seats.

This is the first year the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival was an organization of itself instead of an extension of the Gershman Y. This separation gave the festival more opportunities to create events that educate visitors on the process of filmmaking.

Drexel University public health students and professionals gathered in Nesbitt Hall Nov. 14 to listen to “Depression’s got a hold of me: Gender differences and generational trends in alcohol use and mental health among U.S. adolescents and adults” with Katherine M. Keyes, an associate professor in epidemiology at Columbia University. The audience filled the entire room as they waited for Keyes’ presentation on a subject that has drawn increased focus in public health: mental health and substance use trends in different generations.

As audience members took advantage of complimentary food and beverages, they casually spoke about their interest in this topic.

Alexandra Trautman, a public health graduate student at Drexel, said she was attending the presentation to learn about the many applications Keyes’ work has on public health.

“I think it gives a really good baseline of a big population that public health professionals in the future are going to want to target,” Trautman said.

To start her presentation, Keyes made the assertion that there has been an increase in major depressive episodes since 2005 and most of that increase was driven completely by adolescent females. She went around the room and asked what the hypothesized cause could be.

“Social media!” half the room responded and laughed as if it was the most obvious answer.

The audience’s laughter quickly turned to shock as Keyes dismissed that assumption. She stated that no evidence has been able to prove that connection.

Other guesses included increased alcohol and drug use. Keyes again refuted that suggestion, beginning to cite her own research. Her evidence showed there has been a steady decline in substance use among adolescents due to vigorous public health campaigns that have stretched over decades.

According to Keyes, these campaigns have begun to shape the way younger generations view substances like alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana. As the approval and normalization of these habits decreases in middle school and high school adolescents, the likelihood of use later in life also decreased. With dramatically dipping graphs and multiple sources, Keyes successfully demonstrated the decreases in substance use over generations; she also unveiled her own important connections.

Keyes stated that birth cohorts, the generation one is born into, influence mental health as well as the likelihood of substance use later in life.

“[A group’s birth cohort] affects their socialization throughout their whole life course because you happened to be at a certain age when different geopolitical moments happened,” Keyes explained.

She then said that if a person notices their peers disapprove of underage or excess drinking, that person is more likely to disapprove of it as well.

She explained that a child could grow up in a family where drinking was normal and even encouraged, but that child would be less likely to drink throughout life if their peers were opposed to drinking.

Keyes continued by presenting evidence that substance use continues to increase in adults even though it is at an all-time low among adolescents — a fact that received a few shocked reactions from attendees.

While this decrease in adolescent drinking seems to demonstrate success in public health, Keyes provided graphs that show these same groups have seen an increase in the acceleration of binge drinking from ages 21-26.

“So we think that we’re making this big public health step by reducing adolescent drinking when really we’re shifting it to faster increases in adulthood,” Keyes stated.

Keyes concluded that public health professionals must vigorously study these birth cohorts to better understand why adult substance abuse is increasing over time. The ongoing research she is conducting follows 18-year-olds into their 50s to further study generational binge drinking, substance abuse and mental health.

Hope Smith is a veteran U.S. Army medic and student at Drexel University. She has served for about a decade. She is a nursing major in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. This interview has been edited for clarity and style.

The Triangle: What inspired you to join the Army right out of high school?

Hope Smith: I remember when 9/11 happened. I remember watching it on TV in school. And a guy that I had played basketball with growing up had deployed right before my senior year and he didn’t make it. He was killed in action.

Going to his funeral and seeing his honors — it really intrigued me that people were willing to die for someone when they didn’t even know their middle name. I wanted to be the person that could help bring them back to their family.

TT: What would you say was the biggest challenge of being an Army medic?

HS: Performing. I mean, you go through training and it’s pretty rapid for Army medical school. We get our EMT certification in 10 weeks and we do combat training but nothing can prepare you for the real-life scenario. Applying everything you learned under those types of conditions is insane.

TT: How did you handle the high-stress situations?

HS: So, they say you don’t know what you can do until you really do it. I did see people choke, but there’s something about being in the field that just kicks in and there’s no better way to say it.

I will never forget my first casualty and recognizing spot-on everything that I had trained and prepared for over and over and over again. And it was dead-on-point signs and symptoms. It was slow motion and I just remember thinking “Oh my god, this is real.” Something just clicks and you realize all these people are relying on you, and you’re the one person for all of them — to save their lives in that moment. And you just do.

TT: And the aftermath? How do you deal with the psychological impact that that has?

HS: I mean, anyone in the medical profession develops a way to compartmentalize. For me, in the war, there wasn’t time to really dwell on it. There’s never going to be an easy way to lose a patient or to undergo those types of circumstances but it’s even worse when it’s someone as close as your friend or your family member, that you’ve trained and been there with.

There’s no time to dwell on it since there’s also other people who are relying on you, whereas in a hospital you kind of don’t remember who that person was — they might just be a name on a chart. But in the military, you remember when there’s a seat that’s not filled in the truck when you’re driving.

The only thing you can do is remember that they volunteered to do this and I think that’s really important that it’s a volunteer service now. There’s no longer that draft so recognizing that someone was willing to do that for people they don’t know — that’s what really keeps you going and makes you want to save the other members and bring them home to their families.

TT: What sort of qualities would you say someone in your position should have?

HS: Now, being older and looking back, I’d say you need to be autonomous, have a strong moral character, great critical thinking and be good under pressure. But when I was 18, I had no idea what I was capable of until I did it.

They don’t expect you to come in with all these qualities when you’re joining and enlisting. They don’t set these criteria — you don’t know how you’re going to be. They really prepare you for it. The things I’ve learned have made me a better healthcare professional and your seniors in the military help you throughout this whole process too.

TT: Looking back, would you make the same choice?

HS: A thousand percent yes. A thousand percent. It made me everything that I am. And the things that I’ve done — where would I have done that? A thousand percent.

TT: What was it like transitioning from being in the army to being a student?

HS: I’m still figuring out that one. It’s different. It’s a culture shock, it absolutely is. I mean the army was my entire adult life; it’s all I’ve ever known. Learning civilian healthcare, learning to not keep that delineation that shows in between a civilian and a serviceman, learning to slow down, learning to see other people’s perspectives — all of these things have been interesting. I’m still learning it. You definitely miss that sense of belonging and security that comes from being in the military — that family.

TT: What perspectives have you brought to Drexel based on your Army experience?

HS: It made me a phenomenal student. While I hated training while I was going through it, I understood why: because when you’re put in action, you adapt quickly. Now coming here, I’m a good student.

Time management is an adult-like skill that you do in the service that absolutely made me better to be here and applying what I’ve learned and what I know and giving it to my peers now — especially the 18-year-olds that are in the nursing program; they’ll never see the things that I saw but sharing my best learning practices is pretty cool. It’s really fulfilling to bring that synergy, to bring that combat and war, to someone who will never experience it.

TT: So what advice would you give those 18-year-olds looking to get into health professions?

HS: There’s a few, but the main thing is to just soak it up. Soak it up. And trust your training. You trust your training and put in that diligence — study, perform and practice and it will pay off. When you have that moment when that training kicks in, when you’ve done everything that you’ve possibly can to prepare you for that moment, you have to trust that. And that will save lives.

On a snowy November afternoon in Philadelphia, many Drexel University students were envisioning themselves in exotic locations and traveling the world.

The Study Abroad Office held their annual FIE Passport Day Nov. 13 in order to give students the opportunity to apply for passports in the hopes of engaging in international experiences.

The Foundation for International Education is an organization that promotes students from all over the world to engage in international studies through programs in London, Dublin and Jordan. The Study Abroad Office has been hosting a passport day since 2016. However, this year, the Study Abroad Office sponsored around 80 student passports, an increase from the usual 50 passports. This decision was based on an increase in funding by both FIE and funds allocated by the university.

There are several benefits of getting a passport through FIE passport day rather than students doing it on their own. Students on campus can stop by on their way to class, so they don’t have to go particularly out of their way to get their passport. The Study Abroad Office also provides the students with a convenient list of items they need to bring with them in order for the whole process to run smoothly.

Lisa Shen, a study abroad advisor and communications manager for the Study Abroad Office, was overseeing many of the students filling out their applications.

“It’s always a success when students get a passport, as that’s the main goal. Ideally, we want for the students to study abroad, co-op abroad or research abroad, but that’s not the main focus. It’s to provide an opportunity for students to get something they might not have gotten in the past,” she said.

However, many of the students who applied for passports do end up studying abroad or doing a co-op abroad.

For example, Peter Looft, a freshman mechanical engineering student, originally applied for the program because he wanted to travel outside the country; he is now in the process of applying for the University of Sheffield in London for next year.

Spots are served on a first come, first serve basis and fill up quickly. If you are interested in FIE Passport Day 2019, be on the lookout for an email next September.

Students and librarians asked “What’s a Library to Do?” during “Information in the Internet Age” Nov. 12, part of the Pennoni Honors College Dean’s Tea series.

The Dean of Libraries, Danuta A. Nitecki, opened the discussion by explaining her motive was  to receive feedback on Drexel University’s Hagerty Library.

“What is a library? What should it be? How should it serve students?” Paula Marantz Cohen, dean of the Pennoni Honors College, posed to brew conversation among the dozen students who attended alongside five college librarians.

Some students said that they use the library as a study area, as well as a place to get books from when they don’t want to buy them.

“I see a library as not really a study place for me because usually I sit in Creese — because a library is more where I’d meet a friend,” Miriam Sachs, an honors student majoring in general studies, said.

Other students discussed how they tend to be more comfortable in the Philadelphia Free Library, because the design of Hagerty throws them off.

“My follow-up question would be according to the signage: is there not enough or too much?” Katherine Fisher, part of the client services at Hagerty Library posed.

Another student said that it’s more the organization of the books that throws her off, rather than the signage itself.

However, it all depends on preference; others did not find libraries to be necessary at all. In fact, they found them to be more of a “last resort” for finding information.

Dean Cohen redirected the conversation to the overload of information in the world today, which was the overall topic.

The students agreed that our generation is a lot better at using technology to immediately find the information we need.

The accuracy of that information that our generation can find so quickly is what Cohen questioned.

Phoebe Dixon, the librarian of business, concurred.

“Students come to expect that the information is out there, where in some cases it’s not and when it’s not, what do you do?” she said.

Cohen, who teaches English literature, contends that laptops affect her classes negatively, which she says is part of students’ immediate need to receive information.

The arrangement of the classroom plays a major role in this as well, Cohen and Kumru E. Kastro, the Librarian for Life Sciences, explain.

“This is a family therapy technique, and I will move my students around from where they usually sit and you will notice that it changes the dynamic of the classroom,” Cohen stated.

Nitecki brought the discussion back to the the library and how students have ownership of it, because it’s their collaborative space.

The students reacted to this and recognized that people using the space to study during midterms can also relate and “suffer” together like a team.

Cohen asked what dream renovations attendees would like to see and both students and librarians replied that they’d like new furniture — specifically new chairs. Some students also said the space is too small.

Nitecki finally mentioned that the Undergraduate Student Government Association has come a long way in providing ideas and acting on them improve the library.

Former active duty army medics and current medical students participated in an engaging conversation about veteran health during the first Veterans Health Forum at Drexel University College of Medicine Nov. 14, as part of the university’s Veterans Appreciation Month.

The panelists explored and analyzed the differences between civilian and military medicine, how civilian doctors should handle special cases with veterans, the bridge between being a doctor and becoming a military doctor and the traits required for serving in the military as a medic.

“As someone who is going to be serving in the military very soon, it was really cool to have a discussion like this because military medics are such a unique group of people so I could relate to their experiences and listen to specific issues I might face in the future,” Stephanie Algenio-Anciro, a second year medical student in the Health Professional Scholarship Program, said.

Algenio-Anciro, who is on track to join the air force after finishing medical school, said that having an informative event like this was a great experience overall. She explained that the Health Professional Scholarship Program is offered by the United States military and covers the costs of medical school tuition for individuals who commit to serving in the army, navy or air force after they graduate. The panel was especially interesting for her because some of her own questions and anxieties about becoming an air force medic were answered by people who knew the field and also what she was feeling.

Michael Bleidistel, a second year medical student and Army veteran, planned this event for that very reason — to make all people whose lives have been impacted by the military feel that they are a community. He drew inspiration for hosting this event after going to various civilian doctors and realizing that many of them were unable to treat the special health conditions many veterans face that do not commonly occur in civilian cases. Holding this event at the Drexel College of Medicine was as a starting point in bridging the gap between civilian doctors and veterans and eventually leading to a more veteran inclusive medical curriculum.

“What qualities and traits must a person have in order to be a good fit for the military?” a member of the audience asked.

All five panelists were eager to answer the question, each talking about their own personal reasons for joining the military, but one common thread among their responses was that the military attracts all different types of personalities and people. One panelist explained that “there is no ‘stereotypical’ military medic.”  

Issa DiSciullo, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Drexel College of Medicine, wrapped up the event by expressing her excitement at not only the participation of veterans into the medical discussions, but also the integration of students from Queen Lane, Center City and West Philly campuses at this panel.

Drexel PEN Society, a student-led group at Drexel University committed to promoting international freedom of speech, held a discussion Nov. 8 in support of a  Philadelphia man. According to Drexel University English professor Harriet Levin Millan, Ajak has been detained unfairly.

Peter Biar Ajak, 34, has been behind bars in South Sudan — the country he was born in — since August, after he made a controversial statement against the country on television while in Kenya.

“Right now, there’s so much injustice happening in South Sudan,” Millan said, explaining how the new nation has been struggling. South Sudan became an independent country in 2011.

The Dinka and Nuer, the nation’s two largest tribes, are constantly battling one another for resources, and in an attempt to escape genocide, just under 4,000 “lost boys” — including Ajak — were granted political asylum in the United States in 2001.

Millan, the advisor of the PEN Society, said that it is beyond comprehensible that Ajak is sitting in prison, so she organized the event to try to make an impact. A group of Drexel students, faculty and some of Ajak’s friends attended the discussion.

Philadelphia was Ajak’s first home in the United States, and was the beginning of his success story, Millan said. He was hosted for many years in South Philadelphia by Dale Long, who has had different refugees living in his home all his life.

Ajak attended Horace Furness High School in South Philadelphia, Long said, and went on to attend Central High School and La Salle University. From the moment Ajak arrived, his superior academic ability was clear.

“He convinced me and his school — which was Furness in South Philly — that he wanted to skip a grade,” Long said. “He was just soaking things up.”

Aida Meskel, one of Ajak’s friends from La Salle, said that he also had a distinct charisma.

“There’s certain people that have this smile. It hits your soul when you see it — everybody says that about Peter.”

As Ajak continued in his education, their paths always crossed, Meskel said. After graduating from La Salle together, Ajak studied on a full scholarship at Harvard University and Meskel went to Boston University. From there, Ajak pursued his doctorate at the University of Cambridge, and Meskel studied in Switzerland.

“It’s kind of crazy having a college friend who got detained,” she said.

Ajak is one of the few “lost boys” who became successful and returned to South Sudan, according to Deng Garang Atem, a longtime family friend, who noted that Ajak’s education has helped him practice political activism around the globe.

Mary Yee, an administrator for the School District of Philadelphia, has known Ajak since his first years in the United States, she said. She was in charge of the Newcomer Center, an alternative high school for immigrant youth with little or interrupted education.

“I’ve followed [Ajak] throughout the course of his life up to this time, and certainly, because he is an outspoken young person, and basically speaks truth to power,” Yee said. “I think [the leadership] in South Sudan fears his charisma.”

Long said Ajak’s strong leadership qualities were clear since he arrived in the country.

“I could tell he was going to be a future leader — that was not even a question,” Long said.

James Deng, also a “lost boy” of Sudan, met Ajak in the United States about 18 years ago. He said Ajak is being held in jail and treated as if he committed a crime, though the South Sudanese government has found no hard evidence of rebellion.

Meskel said evidence is not necessarily needed for an arrest in South Sudan. The government can detain first and look for evidence later. That is what happened to Ajak, she said.

Sakyra Hayes, a freshman studying global studies at Drexel who attended the event, said it was enriching to hear perspectives that are often overlooked.

“Especially in the story of Peter, someone who was just living his life and very passionate and outspoken, to have his rights completely taken away was an eyeopener,” Hayes said.

Millan said her heart was broken when she heard Ajak was imprisoned. She mentioned there could not be a better time to defend free speech.

Drexel’s PEN Society, a part of PEN America with centers in over 30 countries, is the only undergraduate chapter of its kind, focusing on free speech. Students interested in learning more about Peter Biar Ajak’s story, how to help, or how to get involved with the Drexel PEN Society should contact professor Harriet Levin Millan directly at harriet.levin.millan@drexel.edu.

Correction: Professor Millan was mistakenly misquoted in last week’s issue as referring to Sudan. She was actually referring to South Sudan. The Triangle regrets this error.

With the votes still being tallied in some states, results indicate that the Senate has become more strongly Republican, while the House has been taken by the Democratic Party. Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf were re-elected, while both houses of the General Assembly remain majority Republican despite Democratic gains.

Although most midterm elections see losses for the U.S president’s party, with around 113 million votes cast — 47 percent of eligible voters — this is the highest turnout in a midterm election since 1966, and a reversal of 2014’s low 37 percent. The incomplete count from the City Commissioners puts Philadelphia turnout at about 51 percent.

Around Drexel, voters re-elected Democratic incumbents like Rep. Dwight Evans, State Sens. Vincent Hughes and Anthony Williams, and State Reps. Vanessa Brown (who was recently convicted of taking bribes) Donna Bullock and James Roebuck.

At the national level there were several firsts for women. Democrats Sharice Davids (Kansas) and Debra Haaland (New Mexico) will soon become the first Native American women to serve in Congress. Democrats Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) will be the first Muslim women in Congress. At the age of 29, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) will be the youngest woman elected to Congress.

Meanwhile, in Colorado, Democrat Jared Polis is set to be the first openly gay governor of any state.

One first that hits close to home is the election of adjunct assistant professor at Drexel University (and mayor of Swarthmore) Tim Kearney to the Pennsylvania State Senate in the 26th district. He will be the first Democrat to hold that seat.

Ballot measures in several states also made major impacts. Michigan legalized recreational marijuana over the age of 21, while Utah and Missouri legalized it medicinally. Florida restored the voting rights of 1.5 million felons who have finished their sentences. Massachusetts passed a referendum to expand transgender rights protections. Alabama and West Virginia amended their state constitutions to block public funding for abortions (Oregon rejected a similar proposal).

Results are still outstanding in two major races. The governor’s race in Georgia is ongoing, with Democrat Stacey Abrams refusing to concede until all votes are counted. If the already razor-thin margin gets much narrower, an automatic runoff election will be triggered for December. Florida meanwhile is recounting the votes in its senatorial election, where Republican challenger Rick Scott has, it appears for the moment, won.

The Undergraduate Student Government Association has been working to improve sustainability on the Drexel University campus. This includes a recent program to encourage reusable containers at Drexel Campus Dining locations, but there is still much room for improvement, a USGA representative said.

“Basically my entire pitch to joining student government was that I would like to see a more sustainable campus,” Ryan Light, sophomore representative and director of the sustainability committee, said.

Light quickly recognized the lack of eco-friendly measures being taken on campus when he started as a freshman, he said. Since joining USGA last year, he has spearheaded efforts to make Drexel more sustainable.

So far, shoppers at the Northside Dining Terrace market can save 25 cents off their order by turning down a plastic bag at the counter.

At Handschumacher Dining Center, where reusable containers are now offered, plastic food trays have been removed.

“It helps minimize food and water waste with cleaning and the associated costs,” Light said.  

He also hopes to work with Saxbys to compost old coffee grounds that could benefit organizations on campus like Drexel Urban Growers or local community gardens.

In June, Drexel’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships purchased the West Philadelphia Community Center, at 3512 Haverford Ave. Light explained how students in USGA were able to speak with community members during a recent town hall meeting at the center.

“We heard a lot of representatives of the community saying that they want to see Dornsife programs on better living, healthy eating, cleaner living in general — more programs expanding on that,” he said.

While progress toward a more sustainable campus and community has been made, there are still many shortcomings at Drexel and lots of room for improvement, Light said, explaining how sustainability has been a recent global focus.

“Drexel has taken steps in the right direction, but we still could be better. We don’t want to be behind as a university.”

Light has been pushing for Drexel to hire a dedicated administrator to head the efforts, which would be the most effective way to improve sustainability, he said. A full-time employee — which Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania both have — would be able to devote more time to large-scale projects than students can.

Last year, USGA members delivered a sustainability presentation to 16 senior administrators at Drexel. Since then, they have written a formal job description and have had individual meetings discussing what they would like to see in a dedicated sustainability administrator.

“I really want to get an administrator for sustainability, because once that happens, the dynamic with sustainability on campus is going to switch drastically,” Light said. “Once it happens, I think we’ll be able to just skyrocket Drexel’s capacity with sustainability.”

For now, the best way to change as a campus is through student involvement, Light said. Joining an interesting Drexel club or contacting student government with ideas and concerns are ways every student can get involved.

The Sierra Club, an environmental awareness organization, has helped promote the sustainability efforts by garnering student support and building connections, he said. Other members of the sustainability committee have had regular meetings with President John A. Fry.

“Administration is hungry for change on campus, but they can’t do anything without student involvement,” Light said. “It’s why we’re all here, to be honest, is to make Drexel and the surrounding community a better place.”

Students and other members of the Drexel community are encouraged to contact the USGA at usga@drexel.edu with any suggestions about improving sustainability on campus.

The College of Computing and Informatics held a town hall meeting Oct. 26 to share plans and get student feedback about the college’s move to a new home in 2019.

It will be moving location to 3671 Market St. by the spring quarter, due to the expansion of this fast growing college. Students will have classes, research labs and collaboration areas all included on the 10th and 11th floors of this new building.

“It’s truly a milestone for our college, in the next spring we are setting a move to our new home,” Yi Deng, dean of the college, stated as he introduced the discussion. “I’m hoping this new space is a game-changer.”

The CCI program is currently spread across three buildings over only 49,000 square feet, Deng explained. These are the Rush Building, University Crossings and 3401 Market St. He said the current spaces are vastly disconnected from each other.

“This new space really helps to solve that problem for us,” he said.

Deng then introduced Ali Shokoufandeh, professor and senior associate dean of research and operations, who gave a walk-through of what the new space will entail.

He explained how the new building will help build the community of the college and encourage students and faculty to build stronger connections, ultimately making it a more enjoyable environment.

This is important because of the growing interest in the program, he said.

“We are one of the biggest growing communities in the university, so we have to have room to expand,” Shokoufandeh said.

Shokoufandeh then shared floor plans through a presentation, explaining that it will include research spaces, conference rooms, larger classrooms spaces, and offices for faculty to keep them close to the student population.

“The hope was that we can first of all bring all the students, faculty, researchers and graduate students into one space, so that was one of the biggest motivations for going through this project,” Shokoufandeh emphasized. “It’s a unifying space for our college.”

He went on to explain how the overall design is fairly modern, including carpet that prevents noise in classrooms, and plenty of natural light to come through most sides of the utilized spaces.

“It has a very natural flow to go between the spaces,” he continued.

The town hall was then opened up for discussion, allowing students in the audience to inquire further about the new space. One student asked about access to the building and Shokoufandeh explained students would have 24-hour access to most of the space.

Another student posed that he was worried about being late to classes due to the new location, and Shokoufandeh made it clear that the CCI faculty is working with the staff to make the schedules so that students aren’t going back and forth.

Deng also chimed in to emphasize that even though the location is a little far from the center of campus, that it is a very intellectually-driven area. He also added that this is a common issue across all universities.

The discussion went on to explore other details like power sources that will be provided in the new space, including projectors.

Information systems senior Kaitlyn Smith told The Triangle that she is concerned about the future of the student organizations that currently run out of the Rush Building, since the new building plans do not accommodate for them. She explained how DUCSTeach, a service organization that works to improve the technological and computer science literacy of schools in the Philadelphia community, uses Rush to organize supplies and as a meeting space.

In the end, Shokoufandeh reiterated the improvements this space will offer.

“The space we’re going to have is far, far better than what we have now,” he said,  stressing the collaborative nature of the design.

A computer science freshman who attended the town hall, Minh Pham, said this was important, especially since space in the current iCommons space within the Rush Building is rather small.

“We often have to go to the library, but now we have a grand space for that,” he explained.

Pham also said that travel between classes will be much better since there will be a dedicated space, which will ultimately improve collaboration.

“Collaboration will be better since we’re all in one space,” he said.

Quinton Gipson, a transfer student in his third term, agreed.

“There’s [currently] not enough access to collaboration with other students,” he said. “This new building will benefit other students and me.”