free
MONDAY
august 31, 2015 high 85°, low 66°
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 • Act of valor
dailyorange.com
P • State of the art
More than 30 organizations provided free legal, financial and career advice to 25 veterans in the College of Law on Saturday. Page 3
2015 VPA alumnae Allison Kirsch and Holly Wilson created Apostrophe’ S, a contemporary art gallery in Syracuse’s Northside neighborhood. Page 11
S • Going abroad
Three of Syracuse’s female stars from 2014 are playing overseas this year and trying to find success at the professional level. Page 20
State law affects SU policy Enough is Enough alters sexual assault policy, changes key definition By Sara Swann asst. news editor
With college women at a higher risk of sexual assault than their non-college-bound peers, New York state has implemented new legislation aimed at combatting the disparity. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently passed sexual assault prevention legislation, “Enough is Enough,”
19% NUMBER OF WOMEN IN COLLEGE WILL BE VICTIMS OF ATTEMPTED OR COMPLETED SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE COURSE OF THEIR UNDERGRADUATE CAREERS SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE
aims to further protect more than a million college students in the state of New York from sexual assault with comprehensive and uniform procedures and guidelines, according to the official website of New York state. The law provides a statewide definition of affirmative consent — “Yes Means Yes” —and defines consent as “a clear, unambiguous and voluntary agreement between the participants to engage in specific sexual activity.” “For too long, the definition of assault centered around someone saying ‘no.’ That puts the expectation to prevent assault on the victim and lends itself to ‘blame the victim’ culture that has long existed,” said Cory Wallack, director of the Counseling Center, in an email. “Affirmative consent laws make it clearer and more obvious what is wanted and/or desired in any situation.” see legislation page 8
In remembrance (FROM LEFT) KENT SYVERUD AND RUTH CHEN attended Catholic mass on Sunday in Hendricks Chapel. Beau Biden, the son of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and a College of Law alumnus, was remembered during the mass. Biden, 46, died of brain cancer in May. He received a law degree from the SU College of Law and he also delivered the commencement address for the college in 2011. logan reidsma photo editor
student association
Former presidents discuss future leadership By Alexa Torrens asst. news editor
As Aysha Seedat and Jane Hong they take the reins of the 59th Session of the Student Association, they are succeeding the presidents and vice presidents of SA’s past — people who even after leaving the organization are still deeply invested in it. Allie Curtis, president of SA’s 57th session, and Boris Gresely, president of SA’s 58th session, say Seedat and Hong are well-equipped to lead SA. The two will be sworn into their positions at the first SA meeting of the
semester on Monday night. Once formally in office, Seedat and Hong plan to build on the work of past presidents while pursuing their own agendas. Curtis, now a candidate for a master’s of public administration degree at Brown University, said she does not think it is important for Seedat to prioritize policies that were prioritized during past administrations because “there are different issues that come up at different times on campus.” Instead, Curtis suggested that Seedat and Hong “continue on getting those results that students see every day, so they know their student
government is working for them.” Seedat said SA efforts that can be easily observed by students are “tangible results,” something former president Boris Gresely advocated for during his administration. Curtis gave the example of installing phone-charging stations on campus. Putting more charging stations around SU was a policy Seedat worked on during her time as the director of SA’s Student Life Committee in Gresely’s administration. Seedat also worked with administrators and Centro to install heating lamps for bus stops on College Place
and at South Campus stops. Gresely said Seedat has her own agenda and focus, and added, “lots of things she is interested in are things the university needs,” such as her safety platform on sexual assault. Though she may have her own agenda, Seedat said she is not forgetting some policies that she worked for but did not see come to fruition during Gresely’s administration. Seedat and Hong will continue to advocate for free sports section seating for students in the Carrier Dome, an SA initiative that was put on hold last year, she added. see sa page 5