FREE
THURSDAY
feb. 21, 2019 high 39°, low 26°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
P eì 6)%8-:)ì:-7-32
N eì 0-2-'ì6)03'%8-32
dailyorange.com
Amiah Crisler, an 11-year-old artist, activist and recipient of SU’s Unsung Hero Award, will have her artwork displayed on a mural downtown later this year. Page 7
A Women, Infants and Children clinic has moved to Syracuse’s Westside. The clinic provides food and educational assistance to the county’s low-income residents. Page 3
SEE INSERT FOR COLLEGE GAMEDAY POSTER
on campus
1st SU ombuds details experience By Kennedy Rose news editor
Neal Powless, a three-time All-American lacrosse player, plans to use his experiences as a coach and a father to inform his work as Syracuse University’s first ombudsperson. Powless is a father of four and coach to the Dutch national lacrosse POWLESS team. He now mediates conflicts between graduate students, faculty and staff through his new position in Syracuse University’s Office of University Ombuds. The role of the ombuds is to provide neutral, independent and confidential conflict resolution, but the office could also be used as a resource for any student, staff or faculty member who has a problem, see ombuds page 4
city
In the cards TYUS BATTLE muscles his way toward the rim in Syracuse’s 69-49 win over No. 18 Louisville on Wednesday night. The Orange are looking to break a Carrier Dome attendance record Saturday against No. 1 Duke. SU captured the key win Wednesday to boost its NCAA Tournament resume. alexandra moreo senior staff photographer
on campus
2nd DCC director candidate speaks at library By Patrick Linehan staff writer
Stephanie Woodward, a candidate for the Disability Cultural Center director position, spoke about her experiences with disability Wednesday during a forum at Bird Library. Woodward, an SU College of Law alumna, is currently the director of advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester. She is one of three candidates for director of the DCC. The position opened after former director Diane Wiener accepted a new role at SU’s Burton Blatt Institute. Office of Multicultural Affairs Associate Director Huey Hsiao is currently serving as interim director of the center. Woodward was the second director candidate to participate in a forum at SU this week. Woodward said she pushed
for SU’s dean to put a wheelchair accessible ramp where the stairs were traditionally situated during her graduation ceremony. The dean wanted to put the ramp at the back of the stage, she said. She said unplowed sidewalks around the university limited her ability to grab a bite on Marshall Street or stay up late studying when she was a student. “I had to deal with snowy sidewalks and deans who preferred stairs,” Woodward said to the audience Wednesday. “I want to know what you deal with.” Candidates for the director position were asked to speak about disability culture during their presentations. In addition to the presentations, which included time for questions, candidates met privately with students and faculty members on campus.
Woodward said she cannot define disability culture because it’s different for everyone. She said disability is very different for a cisgender white man than it is for a transgender Puerto Rican woman. She also said she wants to empower people with disabilities to be able to demand that their rights are respected by the university. “We don’t live in a utopia where just because you have rights that means they’re respected,” Woodward said. “And I won’t pretend that this campus is a utopia just to protect an institution that signs my paycheck.” SU has taken students’ opinions into account in recent years, Woodward said. While she was a law student at SU, she lobbied the school to install a ramp on Irving Avenue, in between the College of Law building and the parking garage next to it, she said.
The plans to install a staircase were eventually scrapped and a long, winding ramp now exists there, she said, adding that there’s still more work to be done to make sure that SU is truly accessible. “I would be proud, if I were chosen as the Disability Cultural Center director, to help achieve that goal of achieving full integration (and) participation of people with disabilities on the Syracuse University campus,” Woodward said. Candidate Kathy O’Connell, a DCC director candidate and licensed mental health counselor, spoke about ableism and her decision to continue collaboration between the DCC and other campus cultural centers on Tuesday. Elizabeth Sierra, another candidate, will give a presentation Thursday at 11 a.m. in Bird Library. pjlineha@syr.edu
Syracuse to seek water main repairs By Casey Darnell asst. news editor
The city of Syracuse is planning to apply for $1.3 million in additional grant money from New York state for infrastructure improvements on two streets. Syracuse originally requested $6.7 million from the state in 2016 for its Dig Once Infrastructure Improvement Project. At Wednesday’s meeting, city councilors discussed the proposed grant request. The funds would be used to replace water and sewer mains on North Beech Street and Butternut Street. The city estimated that construction on both streets will start in summer 2019 and finish in fall 2020, according to the council’s agenda. New York state will reimburse the city for all costs related to Dig Once, including the North Beech Street and Butternut Street projects. The funds will come from the see funding page 6