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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 |
dailyorange.com
N • COVID fatigue
C • Leading the way
S • Lack of recognition
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The SU PRSSA has an executive board of 11 women and has added a vice president of equity and inclusion. Here’s how they plan to change the PR industry.
SU officials said an early spike in coronavirus cases this semester could be due to “COVID fatigue” and said they’ve had to be more vigilant about enforcing safety procedures.
As an athlete on Syracuse’s rowing team, our writer argues that Syracuse’s failure to retire a women’s jersey paints female athletes in an unequal light.
Back in the Dome When Syracuse reopened the Dome to 900 fans for the first time in 370 days, only 250 came
on-campus
Committee publishes diversity report By Michael Sessa news editor
Syracuse University reopened the Carrier Dome on Saturday for the first time in 370 days, allowing 900 student fans to attend a men’s lacrosse game as part of a “trial” run. Instead, only 250 came. (top) rich barnes usa today sports, (bottom) will fudge By The Daily Orange Sports Staff
W
hen Owen Hiltz and Brendan Curry shoved Vermont goalie Ryan Cornell late in the third quarter, fans in the Carrier Dome climbed to their feet. Players on both benches held teammates back, and one fan yelled “Aw, does it hurt?” in Cornell’s direction. Minutes later, another fan yelled “Let’s f*cking go,” when Syracuse attack Chase Scanlan charged Cornell again, and another taunted him by yelling “Where’s your hairline, bro?” when Cornell removed his helmet. The crowd’s volume peaked less than two minutes into the fourth quarter when Hiltz sprinted downfield on a breakaway, but that crowd only comprised 248 people — 0.5% of the Dome’s capacity, and 27.5% of Syracuse’s intended 900-student trial run. When Syracuse University reopened the Dome on Saturday — the first game in 370 days with fans — the stands were still
largely empty. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Feb. 23 that indoor venues could start hosting
a limited number of fans. But SU’s plan to allow fans back into the Dome wasn’t approved until Wednesday night.
SU emailed students who had season tickets last year on Thursday morning with detailed instructions of how to claim their ticket and the pregame testing procedures. Syracuse men’s lacrosse’s 17-13 win over Vermont was meant to serve as a “pilot” run following the state’s approval of SU’s plan to return fans. Students attending the game had to take two COVID-19 tests: one 24 hours prior during a twohour window on Friday morning, and another 15-minute rapid test on game day. Upon arrival at Gate N, students were sectioned into groups based on whether they were waiting on results or still needed to take their rapid test. Students sat in the upper decks of the Dome waiting for results before they could go to their pre-assigned seats. Once seated, they sat in pods of no more than four people, each spaced 9 feet apart in the lower section of the Dome. Masks were required at all times, and concession stands were closed, except for water. “I know a lot of people that didn’t think the testing see fans page 4
A Board of Trustees committee recommended significant changes to student housing, faculty hiring and curriculum in a report published Thursday. The Board of Trustees Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion — which first met in December 2019, off the heels of #NotAgainSU’s occupation of the Barnes Center at The Arch — was commissioned to address issues of diversity, inclusion and accessibility at Syracuse University. The committee, which is composed of seven members of the board’s Executive Committee, visited campus multiple times and spoke with 17 groups of students, faculty and staff. It also assembled an Independent Advisory Panel of diversity and inclusion experts who also visited campus. The committee initially planned to release its report in August but delayed its rollout until March because of the coronavirus pandemic. After more than a year, it released its findings and recommendations in a 19-page report. Here’s a breakdown of what the committee heard from students, faculty and staff and how members of the committee plan to implement their recommendations:
Hiring, retention and career development
During its visits to campus in February 2020, the special committee heard from students and faculty that faculty diversity is inadequate. Members of the campus community reported a lack of effort on SU’s part to recruit and retain female faculty and faculty from underrepresented groups. In response, the committee recommended an expansion of an existing faculty diversity hiring initiative that proposes SU commit up to $50 million over the next 10 years to build programs that diversify its full-time faculty. It also recommended further investment in recruitment and retention efforts to change university culture at the department level, which instructors have indicated is often not welcoming. The push for more resources related to hiring was largely driven by deans, said Jeff Scruggs, one of the special committee’s co-chairs, in an interview with The Daily Orange. “They were really banging on the table for a methodology by see report page 4