NEWS
WEDNESDAY
january 25, 2012
PAGE 3
the daily orange
Panel to speak on Fine case
Alumni create game accessory for Orange fans By Sarah Schuster STAFF WRITER
By Liz Sawyer NEWS EDITOR
The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications will hold a symposium Feb. 23 to discuss the media’s handling of the Bernie Fine and Pennsylvania State University cases. The event, “When Games Turn Grim: Can media cover sports scandals responsibly?” will feature four panels focusing on a different aspect of the case. Due to the complexity of the case, Steve Davis, chair of newspaper and online journalism at Newhouse, wanted to organize a symposium in hopes students could learn from the decisions made by the media. “There are all sorts of ethical issues at play here, and people have been talking about it in Newhouse and in class,” he said. The symposium, held in the Hergenhan Auditorium, will begin in the late morning with a panel on the media. Scheduled panelists include a vice president from ESPN, head editors from The Post-Standard and The Patriot-News in Pennsylvania, and Pete Thamel of The New York Times. After a break, Davis said, the last three panels will focus on advocates for accusers and victims, public relations and ethics from 1-5 p.m. Former Newhouse Dean David Rubin will participate in the ethics panel, which will discuss how much evidence a newspaper needs to charge someone of child molestation; how a newspaper challenges a highly regarded official, such as Joe Paterno or Jim Boeheim; and what The PostStandard should have done with the Laurie Fine tape. The symposium will be streamed live in Food.com and also available on the Newhouse website. Although the event is free and open to the public, Davis said it was created with journalism students in mind. “It’s really complex and interesting,” Davis said. “This would mainly appeal to journalists because it is not a replay of the allegations, but a critical look at how the situation was handled.” egsawyer@syr.edu
ONLINE
Prescription Tracker New York state attorney General fights drug abuse with internet database. See dailyorange.com
brandon weight | staff photographer
Modern melodrama
(FROM LEFT) LUCY SHELTON, KRISTIN CLOTSELTER AND SAM MEREDITH, members of the eighth blackbird sextet, perform “Pierrot Lunaire,” a German drama by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg, at the Carrier Theatre at the Civic Center on Tuesday night. The performance combined music, dancing and complex lighting to captivate its audience. SEE DAILYORANGE.COM
Obama discusses future of education By Nick Cardona STAFF WRITER
President Barack Obama addressed the nation Tuesday night in an effort to unite the American people. The president concentrated on issues such as the economy and higher education during his annual State of the Union speech. “The United States economy is built to last,” Obama said. Obama stressed the importance of education, as the nation’s future resides in the youth of America. Therefore, the president said he wants to create a bill that requires students nationwide to stay in high school until they graduate or until they turn 18. Paying for college is the most difficult part of the education process, Obama said, so students have a better chance to succeed if universities grant more opportunities to help with tuition. Margaret Thompson, an associate history professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, said the president is aware of the difficulty of paying off college loans. Obama and his wife just finished paying off their college loans in 2004, and Obama wants that process to be easier on the new generation of students. During his term, Obama said he spoke with college presidents and encouraged them to lower tuition
and prevent it from increasing annually. He gave them an ultimatum: “If you can’t keep tuition costs from going up, then the funding you receive will go down.” Members of Congress further identified with younger generations of Americans by using social media outlets like Twitter during the State of the Union address. This year marked the first State of the Union in which members of Congress were able to Tweet during the speech. Tweeting is not clearly stated as legal in the Senate and House rulebooks, which could be altered after Tuesday night, said Anthony Rotolo, an assistant professor of practice in the School of Information Studies. Rotolo said he believes the practice of tweeting during the speech is not disrespectful, but tweets could be considered disrespectful to the commander in chief. This practice also correlates with students in Thompson’s HST 341/PSC 329: “Modern American Presidency” class, who tweeted throughout the speech on what they found most interesting. The technique Thompson is adopting in her class is getting the younger portion of Americans more involved in the political process, Rotolo said. The upcoming presidential election is another main topic of conversation in Thompson’s class. She believes the Republican Party
is actually helping Obama and aiding in his efforts for re-election by attacking one another, she said, although she does not believe Obama is sure to win. Said Thompson: “The economy is the top concern facing the American people at this time, but the common good of the people should be the main priority.” nrcardon@syr.edu
FOLLOWING ALONG During Obama’s speech, many famous names took to Twitter to express their opinions.
@SenGillibrand: These ideas
are neither D nor R, they’re simply good ideas, which both parties shld be able to unite behind for the American people. #SOTU — Kirsten Gillibrand New York Senator @BillGates: @barackobama Completely agree that government support of low-carbon energy innovation is vital. America can and should lead the way. #SOTU —Bill Gates CEO of Microsoft Corporation @RickSantorum: Do you want to know what your foreign policy should be? Learn Joe Biden’s and do the opposite. #SOTU —Rick Santorum GOP presidential candidate Source: twitter.com
Although orange seems to be the only color in the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University sporting events, Dave Jacobs and Lawrence Moten have invented a product to make the stands even brighter — all while showcasing the rambunctious spirit of Syracuse sports fans and supporting local charities. Jacobs and Moten, both SU alumni and former athletes, created the Loud Towel, the newest way for Syracuse sports fans show their orange pride and give back to the community. In the center of the bright orange towel is a large, bold, dark blue “S,” with the words “Loud Towel” written across. Underneath the “S” is the word “UNITY,” which Jacobs said is to represent the collaboration between the SU and the Syracuse community. “We want to elevate the community through unity,” Jacobs said. “Great things happen when you put together the greatest fans in the country.” “LM2334” and “DJ1” are also printed on the towels. The first represents Moten’s initials and the number of points he scored as an SU basketball guard and forward, the most ever scored by a single player. The latter includes Jacobs’ initials and the number one because it was his number while he was a kicker for the SU football team from 1975-78, he said. There are also three charities’ logos printed on the towel. The charities include the Burton Blatt Institute, the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, and Say Yes to Education. The Loud Towel costs $7.99 and can be purchased at Shirt World on Marshall Street, the SU Bookstore and in the Dome. The Dome has already sold several hundred Loud Towels, said Gale Youmell, the divisional merchandise manager at the SU Bookstore in the Schine Student Center. She said the towels have been reordered to sell at Saturday’s home game against West Virginia. “What makes it special is that it’s not just another fan item. What’s built into it is that some of the sale goes to these three great charities that the university works closely with,” Youmell said. Jacobs credits the success of the Loud Towel to the Syracuse fans and their dedication to SU’s sports programs. As a former player, he said this is very meaningful. “Playing a sport is visual, mental and emotional,” Jacobs said. “No matter where they are, when a players sees support, they’re always home.” seschust@syr.edu