Marta Rusek

Since my diagnosis with autism in 2015 at age 30, a bolder, more outspoken side of myself has emerged.

6 years ago

Two men are shown burning draft cards at a Jan 31, 1977, rally at J.F.K. Plaza. (Joseph Wasko / Courtesy of George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection, Temple University Libraries)

‘The voice of the people will be heard’ — from Vietnam protests to the new resistance

Like Americans who demonstrated against the Vietnam War in the late '60s, today's protesters know that it takes more than just one disruption to get the country and its electe

6 years ago

This Feb. 26, 2012 file photo, musician Chuck Berry plays

Speak Easy

Arts & Entertainment

In remembering Chuck Berry, we have to play both sides of his record

When a loved one dies, the last thing we want to do is dwell on the unsavory aspects of their lives. Death, above all else, is supposed t ...

6 years ago

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Urban Planning

Why under-funding SEPTA is state-sanctioned discrimination

On a cold winter’s day in January 2015, my morning train arrived 45 minutes late. The Norristown High Speed Line was notorious for arri ...

7 years ago

Nate Parker is shown arriving at the Sundance Night Before Next Benefit at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

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Arts & Entertainment

Disarming the digital mob mentality

It’s hard to read the news when you’re a survivor of rape. Each case is different, but I see shades of my own attack and its ...

7 years ago

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Politics & Policy

Where there is no freedom: My year living under a dictator in West Africa

The truth is tricky. In the age of instant gratification and social media, Americans expect unlimited access to the truth while they pick ...

7 years ago

Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder are shown in this still image from the 1974 Warner Bros. film 'Blazing Saddles.'

Why we need ‘Blazing Saddles’ now more than ever

Mel Brooks’ takedown of racism in America, the 1974 film “Blazing Saddles,” is still relevant and funny as hell thanks ...

7 years ago

A young boy is shown holding his light sabre at a 2007 Star Wars-themed event in London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, file)

5 lessons we can learn from geek parents

My father had two passions in his life besides his family: the law and the offerings of geek culture. A former prosecutor for the City of ...

7 years ago

(<a href='http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-64713241/stock-photo-macro-view-of-drink-cans'>Big Stock</a>)

Philly’s soda tax will benefit the poor, not punish them

When the Democratic frontrunners for the presidential nomination visited Pennsylvania, they put themselves at the center of the soda tax ...

7 years ago

Temple University students rally against the building of a new football stadium. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

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Community

Temple needs to invest in its own community, not a stadium

There’s a reason why a significant portion of America’s high school seniors are not prepared for entry-level college courses, and it boils down to priorities.

7 years ago