Wingard: Moving to North Philadelphia; an intentional approach to community engagement

Within a few months, I will move with my wife, Gingi, and our family into a rowhouse on Carlisle Street — situated in the North Philadelphia neighborhood that surrounds campus.

I believe that colleges and universities are best served when their presidents live on, or very near, campus. The opportunity to engage with the broader community of students, faculty, staff, residents and business owners is optimized with direct access. As such, my family’s move will allow for deep engagement across and with all of these stakeholders.

Campus life provides unique opportunities for connection and growth. Lectures. Games. Performances. Clubs. Food trucks! My family and I will benefit from, and contribute to, this vibrant environment that serves nearly 60,000 students, faculty, physicians, administrators, clinicians, researchers, coaches and staff.

As importantly, I deeply appreciate North Philadelphia — its people, its traditions. As a teen, I spent many weekends and summer nights playing basketball in the Sonny Hill League and developing lifelong friendships with local residents in the “mecca of hoop”! Further, as an avid lover of jazz, I’ll love being proximate to one of the nation’s epicenters of Black culture and music.

One of our new neighbors on Carlisle will be my dear friend and colleague Cassandra Knight, who works in housekeeping here at Temple. Cassandra represents the values — hard work, community care, civic loyalty — that help make North Philadelphia so special. She’s a pillar of the neighborhood community and a stalwart of the Temple community; I will model and hope to emulate her impact.

Engaging with the community is among the university’s five strategic priorities, and it is a defining characteristic of the Temple education. Just recently, I read a profile of Temple alumnus and owner of Second Sin Brewing Co. Michael Beresky. When discussing his experience at Temple, the Bucks County native said, “There are so many opportunities available to you there, and it’s an incredibly diverse area in an incredibly diverse city. There’s a level of life lessons that you will learn and get at Temple that you don’t necessarily see in the brochure when you sign up to go there.” We want our students to continue to glean these lessons.

As of 2021, the median household income in North Philly was just over $37,000 (about half the rate of Pennsylvania), and 26% of North Philadelphians live below the poverty line. North Philadelphia’s 22nd Police District has seen more violent crimes than any other part of the city. This city — this community — needs support. I am fully invested in the community that Temple resides in, and becoming a resident will facilitate being a greater part of the solution.

As new neighbors, Gingi and I will engage with block captains. We will help with neighborhood beautification efforts. We will host community members for gatherings at the new residence. We will frequent the local business community: shrimp and grits at Owl Breakfast & Lunch, a fresh shave at Tommies Barber Shop (no comments about my bald head!), the best noodles in Philly at Yummy Pho.

We have lived in the Northwest Philadelphia community of Chestnut Hill for 22 years. So, establishing Carlisle Street as our only and permanent home is a significant transition. We need to change our driver’s licenses. We will vote in a new ward. We will walk the dog along a new route. We will sit on the stoop on hot summer nights.

Indeed, the rowhouse is modest compared to typical presidential residences at some of our peer institutions across the country. But, this is (proudly) Gingi and Jason’s new home. This is the home of Temple University’s president. It is my hope that I won’t be the last president to make this commitment.