free
monday
oct. 27, 2014 high 57°, low 44°
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 |
N • On the rise
SU was ranked the 9th-best school for sexual health by Trojan Brand Condoms, rising from 16th place last year. Page 3
P • Knock it down
dailyorange.com
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the SU community came together to knock down a makeshift wall on Saturday. Page 11
S • Tiger bites
Syracuse went into Death Valley and had multiple chances to knock off No. 21 Clemson, but wasted them all as SU lost 16-6 on Saturday. Page 20
NO SMOKING
Syracuse University moves forward with plans to implement tobacco-free campus policy next summer
By Alfred Ng staff writer
S
yracuse University is quitting smoking. After nearly a decade of research, public debate and coordination, SU is planning to go smoke-free, with a campus-wide tobacco ban targeted to start next summer. The goal of the ban is to create a smoking-free culture on campus. SU officials cited second-hand smoke, health concerns, campus cleanliness and public opinion as reasons for the policy. The university is still in the process of hashing out the specific details of the tobacco ban, and will be releasing all the information once the policy is completed. The policy is expected to be ready for public review by the first week of November, Patrick Neary, Graduate Student Organization president, said in an email. “Updates will be provided to the campus community as the initiative continues to move forward,” said Brooke Levandowski, SU’s administrative consultant on this new policy, in an email. “We are happy to grant interviews when we are ready for the announcement.” The tobacco-free campus policy will go under review at least three more times, said Erin Kane, SU’s associate vice president for public relations. The policy will be reviewed by the University Senate, the Student Association and at a campus community open forum prior to its implementa-
tion, she said. Neary said in an interview that there is plenty of opportunity for changes to the policy with student feedback. “If the whole thing gets implemented next summer and there’s a bunch of backlash, I know there are plans in place already to do re-evaluations periodically of the policy and how well it’s being implemented,” he said. While the smoking ban is planned to be campus-wide, locations that intersect with public uses such as the Carrier Dome, the Sheraton Hotel and public streets on campus such as Waverly Avenue and Comstock Avenue will need more time for consideration, Neary added. The policy should be more focused on creating a smoke-free culture at SU than about punishing smokers, said Thomas Dennison, director of the Health Services Management and Policy Program. Dennison has studied and supported the effects of a tobacco ban at SU for many years, but is not a part of the policymaking discussion. The GSO has raised concerns about enforcement of the smoking ban, as the purpose of the ban is not to punish smokers. Department of Public Safety officers have said in the past they were not interested in handing out tickets for smoking on campus, as it would distract their officers from safety concerns, Neary said. For graduate students, the see smoking page 5
renee zhou asst. photo editor
Off-campus housing fills up fast By William Norris contributing writer
High demand for affordable housing is now motivating Syracuse University students to begin searching for next year’s housing earlier than usual, spurring competition between students trying to get the best housing and landlords trying to persuade them to invest. Ben Tupper, of Tupper Property Management, said that as of Oct. 1, all of his leases have been signed except for a one-bedroom apartment. Tupper said the lease season has moved at a rate of three weeks faster than last year, and the demand for his housing has increased over the years. “My trend line has been sooner, faster and more for the last 10 years,” he said. After students arrive back at school in August, most begin looking
The biggest problem is the housing rate. We have to pay more year by year. Ying Chen sophomore broadcast and digital journalism major
for next year’s housing the following month, Tupper said. While groups begin talking to landlords in September and October, some people have begun to start the process in late July, Tupper said. This has resulted in leases being signed earlier than usual. “Usually by the end of August, I have already signed 30 or 40 leases,” Tupper said. He added that when it is all said and done, he will have nearly 400 tenants leased for next year. Emmanuel Fasuyi, leasing marketing manager for the University Village Apartments on Colvin, said the rates of leases being signed for next year have been steady. Fasuyi said there has been high demand for two bedroom apartments at see housing page 5