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IN THE
Run by Onondaga Community College, With Love Restaurant — on North Salina Street — just reopened with a new menu featuring Vietnamese family recipes. Page 7
A Syracuse University reserarch center aims to study policy and autonomous technologies such as drone delivery systems and selfdriving vehicles. Page 3
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UNDECIDED More than 100 SU community members are calling on Chancellor Kent Syverud to endorse the community grid
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Senate to conduct survey By Richard J. Chang staff writer
illustration by sarah allam illustration editor By Gabe Stern
asst. news editor
D
ozens of Syracuse University community members are calling on Chancellor Kent Syverud to publicly endorse a community grid option to replace Interstate 81’s aging viaduct. But, for now, SU is declining to take a public position on the thorny issue that’s sparked a decade-long local debate — politicians, businesses SYVERUD and residents clashing over the possible transformation of the city’s primary throughway. Members of the campus community say that’s not the right approach, and have written a formal letter to Syverud urging him to speak out.
In a dozen interviews with The Daily Orange, and a statement from signatories of that letter, originally published late last year, SU community members detailed reasons for why they believe Syverud should publicly weigh in on the landmark public infrastructure decision, and on what replacement option he supports. Professor Thomas Keck, who cowrote the letter to Syverud, reached out to the chancellor shortly after it was published online by The Daily Orange on Dec. 7, 2018, with the hope he could sit down with him to discuss the content of the letter, Keck said. The chancellor’s office acknowledged that they had received his message, but as of Sunday, Keck said he had not heard back from university leadership. The letter was signed by 160 people, including students. In a statement emailed to The D.O. last Friday, SU’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Dara Royer said it would be “inappropriate� for the
university to take a public stance on an I-81 replacement option. But Syverud, along with other institutions on University Hill, have previously communicated recommendations for the I-81 replacement plan with the state, Royer added. “Given the academic mission and values that define Syracuse University, it has been our position that it would be inappropriate for the University to take a public stance on a specific I-81 replacement option, until New York State releases the final Environmental Impact Study/Statement, and related Tunnel Study,� Royer wrote in the statement. As the third-largest employer in the city, SU is a “major stakeholder� in the city’s economy, multiple people interviewed said. The current viaduct acts as a barrier between the university and the city of Syracuse, they said. Syracuse is one of the most racially
see letter page 4
Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization will hold an open meeting to develop an employment survey for graduate students. It’s unclear whether GSO’s Employment Issues Committee plans to bring survey data on employee wages to Chancellor Kent Syverud. At meetings last semester, the GSO Senate discussed bringing a report on graduate student employees’ income to the chancellor, but no decision has been made. At the GSO’s Wednesday meeting, the Employment Issues Committee considered inviting organizers from Syracuse Graduate Employees United to view data from the survey and help contribute to actions moving forward. SGEU is a group of SU graduate student employees trying to form a union. Some GSO senators raised concerns about SGEU breaking confidentiality of the surveyed students’ information. GSO voted to exclude SGEU from having access to the survey. The Employment Issues Committee drafted a survey in spring 2018 to better understand employment experiences and opportunities available to graduate students.
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Saeed Fadaeimanesh was elected GSO Senator to fill the vacant spot in the University Senate. Senators were conflicted over whether to elect Fadaeimanesh. He told senators he did not know about the issue of graduate student wages. Fadaeimanesh also told senators he has a class scheduled for the time when he would have to attend SU’s Senate meetings. The Senate elected Fadaeimanesh on a 15-13 vote. rjchang@syr.edu
on campus
SU launches new disability research, outreach office By Casey Darnell asst. news editor
Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute has formed a new interdisciplinary research office to expand its research and outreach across SU’s 11 schools and colleges. Stephen Kuusisto, an author and University professor, and Diane Wie-
ner, former director of SU’s Disability Cultural Center, will lead the office. The office will use artificial intelligence to help people with disabilities, improve student housing for students with disabilities and ensure that the campus is welcoming to disabled veterans, Kuusisto and Wiener said. “It’s about building an academic
village around disability,� Kuusisto said. “There are endless areas of possibility here. Disability is everywhere once you learn how to look for it.� The Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach officially launched in November. Both disability rights activists, Kuusisto and Wiener, will serve as director and associate director, respectively.
Wiener left her position at the DCC in December to join BBI. “We decided to create a program specifically designed to reach out to colleges and departments at (SU) that haven’t historically been involved with disability, but may be very much interested in it,� Kuusisto said. BBI works to “advance the civic, economic, and social participation
of people with disabilities,� according to the institute’s website. In April, BBI will move from CrouseHinds Hall to Dineen Hall, where the College of Law is housed. Kuusisto is a Fulbright Scholar and graduate of the Iowas’ Writer Workshop. He has written three memoirs and published collections
see office page 4