Artwork done by Christina Papaleo, disability access counselor

“The Center for Disability Resources looks forward every year to recognize our faculty and staff who go above and beyond for our disabled students,” says Paula Possenti-Perez, director of the Center for Disability Resources.��“Creating an inclusive learning environment, going beyond compliance, are not just words they profess, but actions they live by.”

Since Spring 2015, the CDR has hosted the Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony, gathering nominators and nominees in person to celebrate a successful year of support and connection between faculty and staff and disabled students. Including this year, nearly 70 faculty and staff have been recognized for their commitment to students with disability on campus. Although the celebration won’t be in person this year, the significant contributions the faculty and staff have made will not go unrecognized.

“Centering the students’ lived experiences, connecting at a personal level and making them feel valued are just some of the many themes that have been expressed over the years by students nominating faculty and staff,” adds Possenti-Perez. “While we could not come together in person this past spring, we wanted to make sure they were still recognized.”

This year’s faculty and staff being recognized are:

• Alexander Corsello, adjunct professor in the School of Information Studies, for his respectful outreach and care for students’ well-being.
• Walter Freeman, assistant teaching professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, for his resourcefulness and ability to use universal design methods.
• Brianna Shults, internship and employment coordinator in the School of Education, for her accessibility and dependability to students.
• Michael Gill, associate professor of disability studies in the School of Education, for giving students the confidence to realize their potential.
• Jessica Redmond, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in the Falk College, for being accommodating, helpful, accepting and understanding.
• Gina Pauline, associate professor of sport management in the Falk College, for being accepting and understanding, as well as helping students get to their next steps in life.
• Eric Kingson, professor of social work in the Falk College, for his generosity, kindness, understanding, knowledge, encouragement, assistance, guidance, lessons, projects, jokes, magic tricks, books and wisdom.
• Ralph Zito, professor of acting in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, for his commitment to equity and willingness to learn how to best support disabled students.
• Matthew Grzecki, assistant teaching professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, for going out of his way to help and provide feedback to students.
• Rebecca Schewe, associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School, for making students know that accommodating students’ needs is part of teaching—not obtrusive.
• Jim O’Connor, producer of Sound Beat in ���ϲ����� Libraries, for providing opportunities and believing in students.
• Theo Cateforis, associate professor of fine arts in the College of Arts and Sciences, for helping students explore interests.
• Sarah McCoubrey, professor of studio arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, for helping students explore passions for art and encouraging them.
• Diana (Dee) M. Katovitch, program coordinator in the School of Education, for connecting and helping students.

For more information and to read the nominations, visit page.

This is a screenshot of the Rocket League portion of the unique esports tournament presented by the Electronic Gaming Federation, Microsoft and ���ϲ�����.

“The wall takes it upward. ‘Hush’ bangs it off the wall. ‘Jack’ is there for the empty net. One minute and fifty left, and that’s ���ϲ����� left with that commanding 4-1 lead.”

Eliciting the same adrenaline rush as a soccer broadcast, the actually comes from a ���ϲ����� Esports Team vs. Hofstra University game of Rocket League. The game was played on Monday, April 20, as part of a first-of-its kind esports tournament delivered by the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF), Microsoft and ���ϲ�����.

The tournament, which began April 20 and continues through May 10, is accompanied by a virtual industry expert summit developed by Microsoft and ���ϲ����� that intends to harness student passion for esports while supporting academic success.

From Monday, April 27, to Thursday, May 10, the campus community is invited to tune in to daily panels featuring esports experts, including Olivia Stomski, professor of practice in the Newhouse School and director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center. Each day from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. ET, experts will discuss various esports topics, including career advice, esports accessibility and e-journalism. The panels will be streamed on YouTube, Mixer, LinkedIn and Microsoft Teams via a live cast. Information on how to access the stream can be found on the .

“Esports has tremendous potential, both to inspire students to learn 21st-century skills and to show how esports is so much more than simply playing video games,” says Shaaz Nasir, digital advisor at Microsoft. “Microsoft is excited to partner with ���ϲ����� by harnessing student enthusiasm for esports and offering this unique opportunity for students to learn from thought leaders and turn a passion into life success.”

While other sports may be taking a pause right now, the esports industry continues to grow and provide opportunity to college students to compete, hone skills and explore career opportunities.

Throughout the tournament and summit, students from the Newhouse School, the Falk College and the School of Information Studies will take part in experiential learning opportunities. The students will shout cast and have exposure to experts within various areas of esports. And additional experiential learning opportunities are being developed to continue the experience beyond May 10.

“Through ���ϲ�����’s partnership with Microsoft, we are turning a new leaf in esports at the University,” says Stomski. “Esports is the present and future industry of students in all schools and colleges within the University, and we’re now able to provide them hands-on exposure to and experience in the field with real experts, projects and engagement.”

“Orange After Dark, whether in person or virtually, gives students a space to meet and engage with one another,” says Lorena Silva, assistant director in the Office of Student Activities. “We give students something to do so they don’t feel alone—whether that’s a Friday night on campus or if they’re experiencing that now at home.”

Justin Rupple, a comedian and impressionist, entertained over 100 students at an Orange After Dark event on April 9.

The program already has seen success with its virtual programming, hosting Justin Rupple, a comedian and impressionist on Thursday, April 9. Over 100 students tuned in as Rupple did impressions, including one of Professor Snape from Harry Potter singing “Imagine” by John Lennon.

Eliza Zachowicz, a graduate intern in the Office of Student Activities, organized and attended the event. “It was hilarious. I truly enjoyed myself,” says Zachowicz. “My personal favorite was when [Rupple] performed a monologue from “Christmas Vacation” as Shrek and Donkey.”

There will be four more events this semester occurring Thursday and Friday nights, beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern time, keeping in line with traditional OAD hours.

The first event on Thursday, April 16, will feature comedy magician Trent James. James will be performing a comedic magic show via Zoom, and at the end he will teach students how to perform tricks at home.

Claire McKenney, a ���ϲ����� artist, has previously led painting events for OAD, including one that featured the above painting.

On Friday, April 17, ���ϲ����� artist Claire McKenney will teach students how to paint with available materials. All paintings can be done with a variety of tools and only using one color.

Virtual programming also brought opportunities to OAD’s lineup. For years, OAD has been interested in hosting a cooking demonstration but did not know how to make this possible for a large group on campus. Now, given the nature of video conferencing, a cooking demonstration is possible.

On Thursday, April 23, social media influencer Alexandra Catalano will host a cooking demonstration for students. The demo will feature simple, easy and tasty recipes for students to cook with Catalano and ask questions. Students will learn how to make toast three ways, sweet potato fries, egg scramble, healthy pancakes and smoothies.

Students are encouraged to for more information and to register for the events. Announcements regarding the events will also be shared on the Office of Student Activities , and accounts.

Erin Maurno (left) and Alena Anthony (right)

The Barnes Center at The Arch provided the ���ϲ����� community with a jam-packed schedule of group fitness programming since its opening during the 2019-2020 academic year. Now, as the University settles into distance learning, the Barnes Center staff is bringing that robust in-person fitness community online through virtual group fitness classes via its .

To learn more about the offerings, we chatted with Erin Maurno, group exercise coordinator, and Alena Anthony, associate director of fitness programs.

Orange alumni, students, staff, faculty and friends all around the world are spending more nights in lately, and now, they can make those nights a little more Orange. Last week, the Office of Alumni Engagement launched Orange Night In, a virtual toolkit available to keep folks entertained at home, while celebrating being a member of the Orange family.

Orange Night In was born out of innovative thinking and intense partnership across teams in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs. “This has been an interesting opportunity to think out of the box, get creative and be collaborative,” says Cory Miller, executive director of events and affinity programs in the Office of Alumni Engagement.

When campus community members , they will receive:

• Trivia cards to test your knowledge of all things Orange.
• A Spotify playlist with songs and hits from talented graduates and student a capella groups.
• Recipes for Orange-themed appetizers, desserts, cocktails and mocktails.
• A list of movies and TV shows that feature alumni actors, directors and more.
• Orange-themed Zoom backgrounds and a coloring project for the kids.

Already, a little over one week into its launch, more than 360 people have signed up to host an Orange Night In. The quick, growing popularity reflects a group of alumni who may not have previously attended in-person alumni events.

“Orange Night In is providing alumni in different parts of the country an opportunity to celebrate being Orange like never before,” says Kim Infanti, executive director of digital engagement and communications in the Office of Alumni Engagement. “Previously, they may not have been able to attend events or had an alumni club near them, but now Orange Night In reminds us that wherever we are, we are in this together.”

Alumni who participate in Orange Night In and share their photos with the Office of Alumni Engagement will have a chance to receive one of five ���ϲ����� swag pack giveaways. The swag packs include two coasters, a chip clip, two bags of microwave popcorn, a package of antibacterial wipes, a package of tissues and a pair of Orange socks.

Alumni are asked to take a screenshot of their Orange Night In with friends and share it on social media by tagging @SUAlums and using #BeOrange. Or, they can send an email to Alumni Engagement��to let the office know who was there, including names and class years.

Alena Anthony

The Barnes Center at The Arch is innovating its health and wellness service delivery to the campus community. While the University has transitioned to remote activities, the Barnes Center is making sure that students, faculty and staff are staying active wherever they may be through a variety of ways, including Cuse Fit Chat. To learn more about the free one-on-one virtual personal training service, we asked Alena Anthony, associate director of fitness programs, about the service.

The One University Assessment Poster Session is an opportunity for faculty and staff across campus to showcase and celebrate their continued assessment activities that support student learning and enhance campus operations year-round. Faculty and staff from all programs and units are invited to present their collection of work and share their stories.

Eunjoo Jung, associate professor; Ambika Krishnakumar, professor; and Rachel Razza, associate professor, all in the Falk College, won the award for Best Poster Design at the 2019 One University Assessment Poster Session. Also pictured is Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Chris Johnson.

Last year, in its first year ever, the One University Assessment Poster Session, organized by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, showcased 19 posters from programs and units across campus.

Interested faculty and staff can register, create and celebrate their work by following the steps below:

1. Register

Faculty and staff members can register individually or with a team by Friday, March 13, on the .

2. Create Poster

The Assessment Working Team has created to help get faculty and staff get started.

3.�� Attend the Event

The One University Assessment Poster Session is on Friday, April 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library. Presenters are invited to enjoy lunch, as well as set up and review posters from noon to 1 p.m. From 1 to 3 p.m., the campus community is invited to view the posters.

Awards for posters will once again be given out in the following categories: People’s Choice, Best Use of Results, Best Faculty/Staff Engagement Strategies and Best Poster Design. Best Student Engagement Strategies will be a new category this year. Based on the Annual Progress Report, three more awards will be given out: Outstanding Academic Program Assessment, Outstanding Co-Curricular Program/Unit Assessment and Outstanding Functional Unit Assessment.

Questions regarding the event or accommodations requests can be sent to the Assessment Working Team at assessment@syr.edu.

Rather than encouraging New Year’s resolutions, which can be short-lived and unrealistic, Gail Grozalis, executive director of Wellness, recommends relishing in the opportunity to reflect. Still, resolutions can work for some; they can be fun and sometimes jump start positive health behavior, Grozalis says. Whether you’re a resolution setter or not, take a moment to reflect on the questions below Grozalis rounded up for you:

• What were your highlights of 2019? What were the moments worth remembering?
• What worked great for you this year that you would like to carry forward into 2020?
• What was a proud moment for you?
• What was your biggest challenge?
• What did you learn about yourself?
• What one word describes 2019 for you?
• Identify “your word” for 2020 (fun, peace, quiet, simple, strong, etc.).
• What do you want more of in the New Year?
• How will you simplify your life in the New Year?

For the resolution setters, or those looking to set new goals after reflecting on the previous year, below are some tips from your colleagues to help you along the way!

Professional Development and Goal Setting

Kyle Danzey, assistant director of career services in the Whitman School, provided ���ϲ����� with tips on taking your professional life to the next level in 2020:

Goal-setting is an important component of the career development process. By setting clearly defined goals, you can measure your progress toward the vision you have for your professional future.

Establish S.M.A.R.T. Goals

A S.M.A.R.T. goal is used to help guide goal setting. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. The S.M.A.R.T. method is helpful because it sets a clear finish line and makes it easier to track progress.

• Specific: What will be accomplished? What actions will you take?
• Measurable: What data will measure the goal? (How much? How well?)
• Achievable: Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
• Relevant: How does the goal align with broader goals? Why is the result important?
• Timely: What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?

Learn a New Skill

Reflect on your work performance. Is there a skill that would help you in the job that you’re doing? Online resources such as can provide you with an array of skills-based courses. Additionally, you can plan to attend a professional development workshop or training offered through Human Resources at .

Consider Joining a Professional Association or Attending a Conference��

There are professional associations for almost every career field. Joining an association provides members with an opportunity to become informed members of their industry. Many associations offer professional development conferences and workshops that you may find valuable as you define and refine your career goals.

Personal Finance

MaryAnn Monforte, professor of accounting practice in the Whitman School, shared with ���ϲ����� the key personal finance resolutions or goals you can set for yourself this year.

• Set up your 2020 budget…really this time. It is the best gift you can give yourself! We all say we are going to but before you know it…it’s March and no planning has taken place. A budget takes so much stress out of your life. Even if you know that you are overspending this holiday season, you can plan your budget to reduce your discretionary spending to make up for the holiday cheer you spread. A budget helps you with future spending decisions in the coming year–it takes out the guesswork. A budget is truly the gift that keeps giving.
• Budget saving for yourself. It is never too early to save for retirement. 401(k) contribution limits have increased to $19,500 for 2020; for those over 50, the catch-up limit increased to $6,500 for a total of $26,000.
• Consolidate high-interest credit card debt into lower-rate options. Shop around for the best offers.
• Resolve to take a hard look at recurring subscription charges (Spotify, Netflix, cable/internet service, etc.). Make sure you are really using what you are paying for and that you are receiving the best price available. Cancel those recurring charges that no longer offer any value.

Health and Wellness

When constructing your health and wellness goals for 2020, Grozalis recommends to do the following for each goal:

• Visualize yourself achieving the goal. Write it down in the form of a wellness vision; create a vision board.
• Identify your motivators—why is this wellness goal important to you?
• What are your strengths you can draw upon to realize the goal/vision?
• Think about the challenges that you might encounter along the way and develop some strategies to meet those challenges.

Prior to kickoff at noon, students representing ���ϲ�����’s fraternities and sororities will collect donations from fans to benefit United Way of Central New York. The students will be outside all Dome entrances wearing orange United Way shirts and holding orange buckets. Fans can make a cash donation or buy a ���ϲ����� rally towel for $5.

Inside the Dome, concession stands, merchants and Club 44 will accept fan donations electronically with each transaction, cash or credit.

For nearly five decades, ���ϲ����� has supported the United Way of Central New York via a campuswide fundraising campaign, which includes Dollar Days.

Provost Michele Wheatly is chairing the ���ϲ����� employee United Way of Central New York campaign this year, which will formally launch in February. In this role, Wheatly will lead a cross-campus initiative to bolster campuswide giving to the United Way of Central New York.

“Sanvello offers a variety of tools and features, including some techniques that guide us through changing thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that may keep us stuck or prevent us from reaching our goals,” says Gwyneth Esty-Kendall, mental health promotion specialist in the Barnes Center at the Arch. “It is also a great resource if you are looking for ways to reduce stress or be introduced to mindfulness-based practices. While Sanvello is not meant to be a replacement for counseling, it is a valuable tool you can add to your health and wellness toolkit.”

Begin or continue your mindfulness journey with the top five features of the Sanvello mobile app:

Daily mood tracking

Before making changes to your emotional health, it’s helpful to monitor that health. Sanvello helps you keep tabs on what’s going on through mood tracking, daily reminders and health tracking tools. These will help you monitor your emotions and track what impacts them, ultimately giving you the tools you need to make changes.

Guided journeys

The Sanvello Guided Journeys are step-by-step audio lessons and activities based on research-backed cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. You can choose from the following journeys: feeling better, taking control, building confidence and mindfulness.

Coping tools

Sanvello’s coping tools offer ways to shift your perspective when symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression arise. Coping tools provide the platform to track thoughts, daily health habits and inspiration; there are also meditation activities and goal-setting infrastructure.

“Sanvello has been really helpful to get me into a better head space when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Whenever I’m stressed or feeling unmotivated, the guided meditations help me re-center and focus on the things I can control,” says Teagan Peacock, student communications specialist in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience. “I especially like the hope board and journal feature. I’ll add pictures of my favorite memories and list one thing I’m grateful for every day.”

Progress assessments

Based on your mood data, Sanvello creates progress assessments to show you connections of your experiences, activities and emotions. By doing so, you can identify patterns in your emotional health, ultimately providing the opportunity to reinforce good habits and limit habits that are negative.

As a staff or faculty member, you have access to all of Sanvello’s offerings. You can also encourage students to download and use the mobile app. Any person can download the app in the or . Use your ���ϲ����� email address to access the free, premium services.

To make an impact and help ���ϲ����� reach 15,000 hours of community service, visit the����landing page to learn about the initiative, find volunteer opportunities, and log and track your hours.

Trying to figure out how to get those hours? Check out how to do so below:

Volunteer in Central New York

���ϲ����� is partnering with the United Way of Central New York and its��VolunteerCNY��online volunteer database and tracking system. On the site you can find a need in the local community and match it with your interests and/or skills.

Volunteer on your own

Many students, faculty and staff are already active in the local community. Log the hours you’ve completed since Friday, Oct. 25, and contribute to the 15,000-hour goal.

Make sure to use #SU150 to share your service on social media. For questions regarding 150 Days of Service, contact Emily Winiecki, coordinator in the Office of Community Engagement, at��ejwiniec@syr.edu��or 315.443.4137.

“We are excited to open the doors to this great aquatic complex,” says Matt Hackett, director of recreation in the Barnes Center at The Arch. “The space is unique in that it provides an opportunity for everyone—regardless of swimming ability—to come together for fun and fitness.”

The new area is an important component of the state-of-the-art health, wellness and recreation complex, bringing an enhanced, more inclusive aquatics experience for the campus community. The space functions as a lap pool, group fitness space and a recreation space.

Dive in movies and other special events are coming soon to the space. Student organizations and campus units will be able to reserve the space for organization functions. Features of the area include a climbing wall above the water and a large screen for viewing movies.

Check the for information about group and individual swim lessons, as well as deep and shallow aqua fitness classes. Below find the hours of aquatics options in the Barnes Center at The Arch.

Lap Swim

• Monday-Friday: 6:30-9 a.m., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-9 p.m.

Open Swim

• Monday and Tuesday: 7-9 p.m.
• Wednesday-Friday: 7 p.m.-midnight
• Saturday: noon-midnight
• Sunday: noon-9 p.m.

Prettyman Spa Pool

• Monday and Tuesday: 6:30-9 a.m., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-9 p.m.
• Thursday and Friday: 6:30-9 a.m., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 4 p.m.-midnight
• Saturday: noon-midnight

To stay up to date on Barnes Center at The Arch offerings, head to����and follow @BeWellSU��on��,����and��. For questions, contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000 or email��barnescenter@syr.edu.

The celebration of International Pronouns Day is led by the University’s Pronoun, Gender, Preferred Name Advisory Council (PGPNAC) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LBGT) Resource Center.

This is the second year of International Pronouns Day. After ���ϲ����� celebrated the day in its first year in 2018, the University was invited to have representation on the International Pronouns Day steering committee. Consequently, khristian kemp-delisser ’01, co-chair of the PGPNAC and director of the LGBT Resource Center, sits on the steering committee, representing ���ϲ�����. “This allows the work of the PGPNAC to be grounded in the knowledge that is steering best practices for trans and nonbinary inclusion,” says kemp-delisser.

“Somewhat like Pride is, International Pronouns Day is a time for rededication to a cause important to queer people,” says Aley O’Mara, a member of the PGPNAC. “Having our personal pronouns recognized in public is hugely important for the well-being of trans people, so having a day dedicated to education on and celebration of language and its inclusive evolution helps to recognize that importance.”

O’Mara tabled with the council in celebration of last year’s International Pronouns Day. The council will be tabling across campus again this year.

A doctoral student in English in the College of Arts and Sciences, O’Mara adds, “To me [International Pronouns Day is] also wonderfully nerdy and cool.”

O’Mara has advocated for systemic change for years regarding how the campus community recognizes every person’s personal pronouns. To them, integrating International Pronoun Day into University culture provides an important opportunity to progress toward a more pronoun competent campus that recognizes the lived experiences of its trans students and employees.

As part of the day, the council is hosting an on asking for, respecting and practicing using pronouns as a part of LGBTQ inclusion. Also, the PGPNAC and Information Technology Services (ITS) launched a new MySlice experience: . What was previously known as Personal Services, My Profile brings a more user-friendly, customizable experience to students, faculty and staff.

“By creating such a diverse council in many ways, including professionally, we have been able to create sweeping, systemic change that will spark cultural shift on campus,” says Jenny Gluck, associate chief information officer and co-chair of the PGPNAC. “By developing the opportunities for people to select their pronouns, preferred names and more within the University systems, we hope to increase inclusion of all people on campus.”

To change your pronouns on MySlice:

1. Log in to MySlice
2. Select the “My Profile” pagelet
3. Click on the “Biographic” tab
4. Click on the “Pronoun” link
5. Select your personal pronoun

Information regarding both the usage of pronouns and names, as well as My Profile, will be given out during tabling sessions on International Pronouns Day. Access the and for personal usage and distribution.

For more information, please visit . If you have specific questions or need help getting started, please email pgpnac@syr.edu.

Other October TMRs will host the following speakers and topics:

Oct. 3, Hire Ground

John Tumino, founder of In My Father’s Kitchen, will speak about the progress of the Hire Ground partnership to provide work experience through day labor and connections to needed support services for panhandlers and the unemployed homeless.

Oct. 10, Say Yes to Education

Ahmeed Turner, executive director for Say Yes ���ϲ�����, will speak about the progress and changes to the program.

Oct. 24, The Good Life Foundation

Hasan Stephens, executive director and founder of The Good Life Foundation, will speak about his programs with local youth.

Oct. 31, Lead Poisoning

Katie Bronson, director of community housing initiatives at Home Headquarters, Syeisha Byrd, mother of children affected by lead poisoning, Deb Lewis, lead program coordinator for the Onondaga County Health Department, and Robyn Smith, from the CNY Community Foundation, will speak about the effects of lead poisoning.

Before and after the program, there is time for coffee and networking. TMR is free and open to the public. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is available every week. A recording of the TMR conversation airs on WCNY-FM radio on Sundays at 8 p.m.

The guests and topics are chosen by the TMR Advisory Committee, which is made up of 10 community members and managed by Emily Winiecki, community engagement coordinator in the Office of Community Engagement. Questions or comments regarding TMR can be��emailed to Winiecki.

The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology in downtown ���ϲ�����.

Students will flood the��Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) on Saturday night for late night programming thanks to a new partnership with the University’s program. The museum, located in downtown ���ϲ�����, will be open especially for ���ϲ����� students. A $3 ticket, purchased through the Box Office in the Women’s Building, includes entry to the full museum, an interactive mystery activity, access to the planetarium shows, food and transportation.

“It’s always fun to do a new event, and it’s always exciting to introduce students to cool places in the community they might not have explored if we didn’t provide the reason and affordable option to do so,” says Courtney Jones, associate director in the Office of Student Activities.”

This new event at the MOST is a part of a newly expanded Orange After Dark that launched this fall semester. Previously, Orange After Dark hosted one to two events per weekend, in addition to the late-night movie and recreation options. The events were both on and off campus, always included food and never costed students more than $3. With those core features holding true, Orange After Dark is now providing three events per weekend through funding provided by Invest ���ϲ�����.

“When you expand programming it’s a leap of faith,” says Jones. “As we have expanded, students continue to show up in the same numbers to even more events. We’re providing programming that is driven by students.”

As Orange After Dark searched for new partnerships in the community to add to its expanded programming, the MOST presented a perfect match. This year, the museum launched��NightLAB, programming designed for adults to enjoy an evening out and explore scientific concepts while having a great time.

Simultaneously, Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to Chancellor Kent Syverud, was having regular meetings with the MOST to establish a relationship with the University and the museum, understanding how the two could work together. González soon set up a meeting between Jones and the MOST, connecting campus to community.

“I value and am enjoying the opportunity to broker my relationships and expand those relationships to involve others at the University. And to get others in the community to meet folks at the University,” says González. “Orange After Dark is a good opportunity to bring students and the community together and promote local cultural institutions while providing our students healthy, fun experiences.”

This is not the end of the MOST’s partnership with ���ϲ�����. Gonzalez is continually finding campus partners to connect with the community, so stay tuned.

The fitness centers are just one of many ways to be well at the Barnes Center at The Arch.

This Friday, Sept. 13, history will be made on ���ϲ�����’s campus with the official opening of the , the state-of-the-art health, wellness and recreation complex. Campus community members are encouraged to attend a 3:45 p.m. ceremony and open house to celebrate the University’s commitment to transforming the student experience for generations to come.

Differentiating itself from any other college wellness system, the Barnes Center includes an integrated wellness team delivering student-centered, inclusive care and programs that approach health and wellness holistically, encompassing mind, body, spirit and community.

The opening celebration will begin with an official ceremony and unveiling outside of the Barnes Center. Veteran sportscaster Sean McDonough ’84, recipient of this year’s George Arents Award, will emcee the event. Chancellor Kent Syverud and Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus Steven W. Barnes ’82 will offer remarks about the continued momentum the Barnes Center brings to create an unsurpassed student experience.

After the ceremony, attendees are invited to enter the Barnes Center for a donor recognition event, led by Izmailia Sougoufara ’20, peer educator, as well as an open house featuring:

• Free commemorative giveaways will line the halls of the Barnes Center, including fitness socks and reusable travel cups.
• Smoothie samples from Otto’s Juice Box, the student-named juice bar within the Barnes Center.
• It wouldn’t be a celebration without cake! Carrot and vanilla cake in the shape of the Barnes Center will be served.
• The Health Hub, an interactive outreach program designed to promote wellness and encourage a healthy campus community, will be staffed by peer educators.
• Pet therapy will be in full swing and open to all in the Walters Pet Therapy Room until 6 p.m.
• Set aside time to try out a massage chair, use biofeedback tools or experience one of the other stress-reducing activities in the Crowley Family MindSpa.
• The new recreation area of the Barnes Center at The Arch will be on full display with lots of activity, including demonstrations of how spaces are used by students.
• The campus community is invited to view photos from the Archives, sharing history of the building over the years.

For those unable to attend the event in person, please tune into the livestream on the official .

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided during the ceremony. For more information, please contact the Office of Special Events at 315.443.4631��or by email at��specialevents@syr.edu.

“We are excited to have a more accessible and visible space in the community, demonstrating the University’s commitment to community groups,” says Emily Winiecki, community engagement coordinator. “And there’s no better way to kick-off the new space than our longstanding, popular Thursday Morning Roundtable series.”

September TMRs will have the following topics and guests:

Sept. 12, Renewable Energy

Chris Carrick, program manager for energy management at the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board, and��Lindsey Speer, campaign manager for the Alliance for a Green Economy, will speak about renewable energy. This TMR topic is presented in partnership with FOCUS Greater ���ϲ�����.

Sept. 19, The Good Life

Annette Peters, vice president of marketing at ���ϲ����� Media Group, and��Ben Sio, chief of staff at CenterState CEO, will speak about the new branding initiative for CNY as a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Sept. 26, New York State Senate 53rd��District

New York State Sen. Rachel May, representing the 53rd��Senate District, will present on her first year in office and her vision for the future.

Before and after the program, there is time for coffee and networking. TMR is free and open to the public. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is available every week. A recording of the TMR conversation airs on WCNY-FM radio on Sundays at 8 p.m.

The guests and topics are chosen by the TMR Advisory Committee, which is made up of 10 CNY community members and managed by Emily Winiecki, community engagement coordinator in the Office of Community Engagement. Questions or comments regarding TMR can be emailed to Winiecki.

Students build upper body strength on the 48-foot climbing wall, now open at the Barnes Center at The Arch.

This week marks the next phase of expanded health and wellness in the Barnes Center at The Arch with programming to help you Be Active at ���ϲ�����.

With the start of the academic year, fitness floors in the Barnes Center at The Arch opened. Since the beginning of classes, over 25,000 people have swiped in to use the new fitness facility. This is in addition to those who have swung by the Barnes Center at The Arch for various other health and wellness needs, including grabbing a smoothie at Otto’s Juice Box, updating health immunizations, spending time in the Crowley Family MindSpa or seeing a counselor.

The possibilities are multiplying at the Barnes Center at The Arch as construction continues to create new experiences at ���ϲ�����. Now, people can partake in the following services at the state-of-the-art health and wellness complex:

1. are a new, free service for ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) student I.D. holders. Participants can register on the����24 hours before the class. Be on the lookout for aerobic, aqua, cycle, mind & body and x-training drop-in fitness classes.
2. The new�� features two 48-foot-tall climbing walls, an expansive bouldering area, a rappel platform and a variety of different skill clinics to choose from for climbers of all skill levels.
3. The Multi-Activity Sport Court is available for use every day of the week for activities such as indoor soccer and roller hockey. Special programming can be scheduled through the Wellness Portal.
4. An indoor track is now open at the Barnes Center at the Arch and can be used seven days a week.
5. Four new basketball courts are up and running. Open every day of the week, the gymnasium has already become a popular spot for pick-up basketball. Special programming can be scheduled through the Wellness Portal.

When you visit the Barnes Center at The Arch, be sure to check out the facilities’ other offerings. New to the University, The is in full swing and offers pet therapy on Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To stay up to date on Barnes Center at The Arch offerings, head to�� and follow @BeWellSU��on��,����and��. For questions, contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000 or email��barnescenter@syr.edu.

The Women’s Building fitness facility, which served as the interim space for recreation during construction of the Barnes Center at The Arch, no longer houses any fitness equipment. The Women’s Building pool is still open.

View while hiking to Walcott Quarry. (Photo by Emily Judd)

The idea came about in Feb. 2018 when Cathryn Newton, special advisor to the Chancellor and Provost for faculty engagement at ���ϲ�����, invited Matt James, professor of geology at Sonoma State University, to give a lecture on his recent Galapagos book, “Collecting Evolution,” in celebration of Darwin Day. At the event, James mentioned that every summer for over a decade he brought his students to the famed Burgess Shale. The lecture room, full of geologists, audibly gasped in exhilaration. On the spot, James agreed to lead a trip if Newton would design and co-lead a deeply Orange version for students, faculty and alumni.

James and Newton held true to their promise this summer, and the 15 scientists embarked on what participant Emily Judd, doctoral student in the Department of Earth Sciences, called a “paleontologist’s pilgrimage.”

Trilobite fossil at Walcott Quarry. (Photo by Emily Judd)

Each day was filled with a new adventure. Throughout the Banff Yoho and Jasper National Parks, the group explored fossil beds of the Cambrian age that preserve even soft-bodied animals, giving a window into early marine communities. The fossils include both surviving groups of organisms and highly experimental forms that have no modern counterparts. One of the��most anticipated geological spots they visited, the Burgess Shale, is an estimated 508 million years old, representing one of the oldest sites with rare soft-bodied preservation.

“I went into the Earth sciences because of opportunities like this. Geology and paleontology are unique sciences because of how hands-on and experiential they are, and doing fieldwork is the cornerstone of being an Earth scientist,” says Judd. “Field trips like this reinforce concepts taught in the classroom, give me ideas about how to more effectively teach concepts in the future, spur new research questions and reinvigorate my passion for the Earth sciences.”

The 15-person group was atypical; it included undergraduate through doctoral students, faculty and staff and Board of Trustees Vice Chair Michael Thonis ’72. Each member of the group brought a different lens to the trip, with expertise ranging from paleoecology and evolutionary biology to structural geology and geochemistry. This breadth of experience created even more learning opportunities for all involved.

Thonis, a 1972 graduate of the Earth sciences program at ���ϲ�����, has stayed closely involved with the Department of Earth Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences and ���ϲ����� since graduating. “Trilobites on Ice” for him was a perfect way to continue his connection to both the University and geology.

Daniel Phillipi, doctoral student; Moon ’19; and Wanyi Lu, doctoral student, were three trip participants. Their longest hike, pictured above, was 22 kilometers to Burgess Shale. (Photo by Emily Judd)

He says of the experience: “We remind ourselves in geology to ‘let the rocks speak to us.’��In British Columbia, we visited the finest fossilized examples of the earliest multicellular life, right alongside some of the most significant examples of recent alpine glaciers and their unfolding histories.��I have read about both of these, but seeing them in person was far more powerful and inspiring.��The rocks spoke to me.”

The youngest of the bunch was Lindsay Moon ’19, who was able to go along on the trip only two��months after graduating the Earth sciences undergraduate program. Moon viewed this trip as an unparalleled way to kick start her career, right before leaving to be commissioned as an officer of oceanography in the United States Navy.

“The learning opportunities on this trip were endless and being able to sit and listen to the experts in my company talk passionately about what they love was invaluable,” says Moon. “I know that my appreciation for the things I have seen and experienced on this trip will only deepen as my career evolves and grows, making this opportunity truly priceless”

Although at different points in their lives, the group worked as a collective, experiencing these once-in-a-lifetime moments together that many geologists study but rarely witness. For each participant, different moments struck different impactful chords of their never-ending quest for knowledge.

Moulin at Athabasca Glacier. (Photo by Emily Judd)

For Judd, the most memorable part of the trip was hiking across the Athabasca Glacier. Her doctoral research focuses on reconstructing climatic conditions in Antarctica millions of years ago, so it has been a lifelong goal to visit the continent. The Athabasca Glacier gave her a close feeling to what that bucket list trip may be like.

“The ice field itself was a sensory overload. Rushing streams of ��light blue glacial water weaved across the surface of the ice, occasionally disappearing into moulin, which is deep and often massive holes in the ice, or giving way to giant crevasses elegantly carved by the running water,” says Judd. “You could literally hear a creaking, as the ice moved at a glacial pace under your feet, and every so often, ice from the mountain glaciers above would calve into the valley below, generating a thundering boom.

I can genuinely say, without hyperbole, that it was the best day of my life.”

Both leaders emphasized their commitment to extending and elevating the longstanding agreement between ���ϲ����� and ESF and maintaining an equitable and mutually beneficial partnership. Pending state approval, the renewed partnership provides students with access to academic and student life-related activities at one institution that may not be available at the other.

“For more than a century, our two institutions have worked together to benefit our students, faculty and staff and the residents of the Central New York community,” says Chancellor Syverud. “This continuing partnership allows us to leverage our individual areas of strength and expertise to further advance our collective research and academic goals. It also enables us to further attract talented students, faculty and staff, while guaranteeing both communities access to world-class research, academic and co-curricular opportunities.”

“Our partnership with ���ϲ����� is built on a foundation of shared values to provide the highest quality education to our students and that through exposure to inquiry develops lifelong learners,” says Interim President Amberg. “Our collaborative research efforts develop solutions to today’s pressing environmental challenges and inform sound, reasoned policy. Working together, we are able to amplify the impacts of our tripartite missions of education, research and service.”

As part of the agreement, ���ϲ����� students can enroll in ESF courses in subject areas not offered at ���ϲ�����. In turn, ESF students will have similar access to ���ϲ����� courses. Additionally, ESF students will be able to use the new Barnes Center at The Arch, enhancing their access to recreational resources, services and activities.

The newly signed agreement remains in effect through 2024, at which time the leaders of both institutions will review new opportunities for continued partnership.

Attend a ���ϲ����� Athletics event

Football and soccer and field hockey…oh my! With so many opportunities to flex your Orange pride on campus, you have every reason to support our student-athletes. Check out the on Cuse.com. Looking for an extra special opportunity? Faculty and staff will be celebrated at the Sept. 28 football game. Tickets are only $5, and there will be giveaways!

Central New York offers many wonderful locations for apple picking.

Go apple picking

Put on your best flannel, throw on some jeans and get your basket ready. Whether you’re team Gala or Red Delicious, there is an orchard for you. Apple picking starts today at , which is ranked as a top spot in the United States for apple picking. Other spots to check out are , or . However, every local has a favorite spot, so ask around.

Attend a fall festival

Everyone loves a good festival, and, thankfully, we have plenty to choose from. The highly coveted�� (Oct. 17-20) sets the perfect fall mood. Tickets sell out quickly, but you can get yours at the (Sept. 7-8). Looking for something else? Check out: (Sept. 6-7), (Sept. 13-15), (Sept. 21),�� (Sept. 22), (Sept. 26-29), (Oct. 12-13) and����(Oct. 26-27).

Hike amongst the leaves

With cooler temperatures and beautiful views, fall proves to be a perfect time to go for a hike throughout New York state. Take an afternoon for one of the local spots, such as Clark Reservation State Park or Tinker Falls; a day drip to Robert Treman State Park; or a quick getaway to the Adirondacks or Catskills regions.

Pick a pumpkin…or launch one

Don’t just settle for picking apples; pick pumpkins, too. A few spots, including Critz Farms, do both. Others specialize in the pumpkin. A few popular spots are , and . If you feel like bringing your pumpkin-ing to the next level, take a day trip to Clayton, New York, for its annual . While there, catapult a pumpkin into the St. Lawrence River and enjoy some BBQ.

Fall is an awesome time for pumpkin-ing.

Snap a pic of fall foliage

Fall foliage pictures are for everyone… pumpkin spice latte and floppy hat not required. Head to for a photo of the foliage reflected in the water, meander through Oakwood Cemetery while the leaves fall, explore and all it has to offer or make it over to��Skaneateles and check out .��When in doubt, snap a picture of the color-changing ivy on campus.

Find a fright

There are a lot of opportunities to lean into a wide range of spooky fun during October. When it’s time, be on the lookout for information regarding Zoo Boo at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Fright Nights at the Fair and haunted or family-friendly hay rides. For now, check out the , which brings families aboard the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.

Bring awareness and/or celebrate your identity

The academic year kicks off with nonstop programming, a lot of which is centered on awareness initiatives. Take part in campus events and/or celebrate or bring awareness to your own identity through one of these initiatives: (October), (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), , Mental Health Awareness Week (October), National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (October) and (November).

Kick off your #SU150 celebrations

This year kicks of the University’s 150th anniversary. Join in the celebrations this fall through and post on social media using #SU150.

kemp-delisser (center left) marched with 30 other higher education representatives on Saturday, June 22 at the CNY Pride Festival and Parade. Photo by��Matt Spitzmueller

On Saturday, June 22, CNY Pride hosted its annual CNY Pride Festival and Parade in the ���ϲ����� Inner Harbor. As part of the parade, khristian kemp-delisser ’01, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)��Resource Center on campus, helped organize a group of higher education professionals in the CNY area to march.

“In the early days of the CNY Pride parade, some educators actually could not risk being visible��members of the LGBTQ community. Some people��marched with paper bags over their heads,” says kemp-delisser.

Now, things are different.

“It’s heartwarming to be able to represent the higher education community in the parade,” says kemp-delisser. “We want the whole ���ϲ����� community to see and share the Pride we each try to foster on our campuses.”

This year’s CNY Pride Parade and Festival had a record number of attendees, doubling in size from last year’s event. Photo by��Matt Spitzmueller

kemp-delisser led a group of more than 30 faculty, staff and students representing local colleges and universities to march proudly in the 2019 CNY Pride Parade. Jorge Castillo, Jo Wang, Kate Pollack G’17, Rob Pusch, Ashley O’Mara G’20, Jason Harris G’18 and Gilles Stromberg ’12 were among the ���ϲ����� representatives at the event.

Colleagues from Hamilton College, Colgate University, Le Moyne College, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Upstate Medical University and Onondaga Community College joined ���ϲ����� staff.

Fifty years ago, the Stonewall Uprisings became a key turning point in the LGBT rights movement. Before Stonewall and still today, the queer community fights for human rights through activism, and Pride Festivals since Stonewall have been an annual opportunity to do so. While fighting for equal rights, Pride offers a space to celebrate the queer community.

The stairs that connect Irving Avenue to the Dome gates are highlighted in red in the above image. The stairs should reopen by Monday, June 24.

On Thursday, June 20, construction of an electrical duct bank will begin as part of the Stadium Roof Project. The duct bank will support the construction of a crane pad on the west side of the Dome.

The duct bank construction will close the stairs that connect Irving Avenue to the Dome gates. The work is planned to take four days, and the stairs should reopen with a walkable surface by the morning of Monday, June 24.

During the stair closure, pedestrians have multiple alternative routes:

1. The Irving Garage provides access to campus via the bridge over Irving Avenue. This route is accessible when using the elevator in the Irving Garage.
2. Sidewalks to the north (the covered stairs at the Van Buren intersection) may be used.
3. Sidewalks to the south (accessing Gate B adjacent to the loading dock) may be used.
4. Pedestrians coming from the east may use the routes listed above as paths to Irving Avenue.

This is the first closing of the stairs. A second brief closing of two to three days will be required to pour concrete at the stair landing, completing the permanent restoration. Campus Planning, Design and Construction will send out information on the second closing when details are finalized.

Sharon Cole

The summer heat hasn’t yet broken through the early morning clouds when Sharon Cole arrives at ���ϲ����� for the annual CNY Works orientation. Funded by the workforce development nonprofit CNY Works and coordinated by Cole, the program places local students, ages 16 to 20, in University departments to work over the summer.

Every year, Cole, talent acquisition manager in the University’s Office of Human Resources, is at the location hours before the event starts, but she wants everything to be perfect for the local students. She lays out T-shirts, rearranges chairs and runs through the schedule—reassuring herself that her attention to detail and passion holds strong. Right alongside her, for the last 13 years, is her daughter Diamond.

Diamond grew up watching her mom help streamline hiring practices at ���ϲ����� and prioritize her local community. And yet, Diamond is just one “student” of Cole’s—a woman who continuously personifies lessons of compassion, hard work and love.

Twenty years ago, Cole was enrolled in a job readiness program at CNY Works. She was pregnant with Diamond at the time and knew she wanted to improve her skills to begin a career for herself and her daughter. The agency helped Cole get hired at ���ϲ�����.

“When I was hired at ���ϲ�����, I said I was going to give back,” Cole says. “Someone gave me the opportunity to talk with someone at ���ϲ�����, and I said I was going to work with community agencies and be that contact person moving forward.”

And she did.

When Cole was hired, the Office of Human Resources shortly shifted from in-person, paper application processes to digital processes. She quickly identified that the digital process was impeding on local hiring and found an opportunity to bolster the temporary support process.

Sharon Cole with local students at the annual CNY Works orientation

After approaching her supervisor, Cole was encouraged to spread her wings, creating an in-house temp agency at ���ϲ�����; after all, more employees are hired in temporary positions than not at the University.

“I’m proud of taking a process that we had and making it more inclusive,” says Cole.

Word traveled through the University and local community as Cole worked with workforce development agencies and other organizations to hire local community members. Cole says people knew that if they wanted to hire someone for a temporary administrative position they had three options: “post the position, go to an outside temporary agency or ‘do you want to work with the talent team at HR to fill your position?’” The third option was and still is the most popular.

For the past 20 years, Cole has found the most value in helping people get a foot in the door at ���ϲ����� through temporary positions and also watching young people in the CNY Works program discover options they never thought possible.

By getting people into positions as temporary administrative employees, many then become permanent, use tuition benefits for their children, get promotions, etc. Many CNY Works students are exposed to higher education for the first time, realizing the possibilities in front of them, including possibly attending ���ϲ�����.

“I open emails and immediately cry sometimes,” Cole says. “Many of my past students or hires email me thanking me for who I am and for making a difference in their lives…for taking the time to talk to them and helping them.”

Sharon Cole and her daughter Diamond

One of the regular emailers is Craig Tucker, now director of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). A serendipitous series of events led him to his current position, but that’s the way it works with Cole.

Fifteen years ago while volunteering with a program to collect furniture for Hurricane Katrina survivors, Tucker started talking to a fellow volunteer about wanting to continue his career in higher education. The volunteer told him that if he wanted to work at ���ϲ�����, he needed to talk to Sharon Cole. Tucker sent his resume to Cole, who called him within a half hour of receiving his email.

After Cole convinced him to apply for a position as a temporary coordinator in the School of Information Studies, his career at ���ϲ����� took off. Now, as a program director, he continues to email Cole thanking her for and reminding her of the importance of the work she’s doing.

“I tell her thanks for opening the door and convincing me to get into the temporary pool. She’s doing good, important work…in a way, her work really makes ���ϲ����� part of the community,” says Tucker.

Cole’s work is now being elevated in a partnership between the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Community Engagement, as one part of a new University initiative: Building Local, a three-pronged effort focused on opportunity, partnerships and business.

“Twenty years feels like yesterday working at the University, and I could do it another 20. I love what I do and love being a part of and representing ���ϲ�����,” says Cole.

This labor of love has inspired many to realize their potential and help others around them. Most significantly, however, it has been instilled in Diamond.

“Seeing my mom have a passion for helping people—who didn’t have the same chances as other people—showed me how much she cares about the community, which inspired me to be who I am and pursue a career in serving underserved populations,” says Diamond, who is now a rising senior studying public health in the Falk College. “The tough love she gave to me and the role model she is for me…she’s that for every CNY Works student and every person she comes to know.”

Representatives from more than 100 Central New York businesses attended the fair, including Melanie Randolph, owner of Your Window to the World, LLC. “Events like [the Procurement Fair]��are going to open doors for local businesses and create opportunities with ���ϲ�����,” says Randolph. “This gives us a more one-to-one relationship, where we can really work as a community and align our values together. The small businesses can come together and be greater together.”

Melanie Randolph (right) was among the 100+ local business owners to attend the Procurement Fair on May 21.

“���ϲ����� is committed to developing intentional, sustainable partnerships with local, small and diverse businesses. As these businesses succeed, so do the communities that surround them and so does ���ϲ�����,” says Vince Patriarco, executive director for purchasing.

The Building Local initiative launches as the Office of Community Engagement works to strengthen partnerships with local municipalities, nonprofit organizations and other community entities. The Building Local program seeks to expand participation of local business enterprises and XBEs in three ways: construction opportunities; the hiring of local residents, primarily those from communities in need of job opportunities; and the aforementioned economic growth through purchasing decisions.

“Building Local seeks to institutionalize the formal commitment ���ϲ����� has made in leveraging its own economic power to invest in the local economy in a sustainable, mutually beneficial and catalytic way,” says Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to Chancellor Kent Syverud.

Mark Jackson, executive director in the Office of Community Engagement, has spent two years turning the Building Local concept into a reality. “I questioned if there was a better way we as an institution can do what we’re already doing—spending money—and make a bigger impact here just by changing how we’re doing it,” he says. “That involves intentionality and looking for solutions.”

After extensive research on economic and workforce development best practices at other major universities, Building Local was created. In addition to the business portion that launched at the Procurement Fair, the opportunity and partnerships focus areas have gone through pilot processes.

Building Local: Opportunity seeks to ensure that XBEs and local businesses are afforded equal access to construction and design opportunities at the University. Through a pilot project at the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC), Building Local: Opportunity launched under the advisement of the University’s Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction. Many local businesses and XBEs were brought into the construction process of the NVRC, including Mattessich Iron, LLC, which is owned by service-disabled veteran Mike Mattessich.

Mike Mattessich is photographed here during a patrol in western Iraq and with his first service truck.

Mattessich Iron is the steel contractor on the NVRC project, handling the ornamental and miscellaneous steel projects, including the stairs and handrails. This opportunity enabled Mattessich’s business to secure more contracts with companies for work at ���ϲ�����. Prior to this contract, Mattessich’s team primarily worked outside of Central New York; now, the workers are able to serve their local community and see their finished work regularly.

“I’m thankful to ���ϲ����� for stepping up,” says Mattessich. “The biggest benefit comes to young companies, providing them an opportunity to get their foot in the door and prove their worth to reputable contractors. If they can perform, they will succeed.”

This success brings many benefits to business owners, as more contracts come in and their companies grow. NaDonte Jones, founder of NJ Jones Plumbing LLC, is Onondaga County’s first and only Minority Business Enterprise master plumber. A subcontractor on ���ϲ����� projects for several years, Jones took on a new challenge with the NVRC plumbing project.

“Through Building Local, the money is brought into the local community and it goes back out,” says Jones. “The more economic flow a company like mine has, the better it is for the local community. It does its part to help the economy, schools and development, and combat unemployment.”

Through his contracts at ���ϲ����� and the quality of his work, Jones has grown his business 300 percent

NaDonte Jones lives by three virtues that are printed on his truck and tattooed on his skin: humble, patient, integrity.

over the last few years. He is continually expanding staff and prioritizes hiring employees from the city’s South Side. He is currently looking for a larger space to house his business.

“Building Local’s impact is economical, but is also influential to community morale,” says Jones. “The other day, someone came up to my employees talking about how they don’t see many people of color in our profession, and to have my men as role models is really valuable.”

Building Local: Partnerships focuses on leveraging relationships with local workforce development programs to hire new ���ϲ����� employees from those programs. These initiatives have been ongoing for over a decade at ���ϲ����� under the leadership of Sharon Cole, talent acquisition manager in the Office of Human Resources.

Karima Akins-Rattigan came to work at ���ϲ����� as a ninth grader through CNY Works. Now a graduate, Akins-Rattigan works in the College of Law Career Center.

Karima Akins-Rattigan��was about to enter ninth grade when she heard about the CNY Works program to place local students ages 16 to 20 in summer jobs. After a few placements off campus, Akins-Rattigan��began a placement at ���ϲ�����, thanks to the Office of Human Resources’ partnership with CNY Works. She ended up working in the Office of Admissions in the College of Law, the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Career Services Office, the Office of Multicultural Advancement and the Office of Human Resources.

“Never did I imagine this program taking me this far; these are dreams most teens never experience without the right contacts,” says Akins-Rattigan. “Being able to work on campus and knowing my interest in ���ϲ����� gave me a drive I never knew I had.”

After her experience working on campus, Akins-Rattigan��was motivated to apply to ���ϲ�����. She completed her undergraduate degree and now works in the College of Law Career Center.

González and Cole also work with the ���ϲ����� City School District and Peaceful Schools, which collaborate on an after-school program that helps parents complete a series of assessment and light capacity building programs. Once parents successfully complete the program, González and Cole help them apply for jobs, including positions at ���ϲ�����.

This spring, 11 community members graduated from a culinary workforce training program offered through Catholic Charities of Onondaga County. Cole and Sue Bracy, director of Food Services attended the certification event at the conclusion of the program. All 11 were hired by ���ϲ�����.

“Some people can cook all day but can’t attach a résumé��to a job portal. We are bridging that gap,” says Cole. Moving forward, the University is leveraging existing workforce development programs, convening five programs and hiring local community members from the programs.

The Building Local initiative follows the University’s 2017 economic impact report—���ϲ����� Impact: Central to Central New York—which detailed the roughly $1.1 billion annual economic contribution the University makes to the region and the substantial investment it makes in the community.

For questions regarding the Building Local initiative, contact oceed@syr.edu.

There were over 110 participants from ���ϲ����� at the 2019 Corporate Challenge.

Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to Chancellor Kent Syverud, spoke as an honored guest at this year’s event because of the University’s involvement as both a participating organization and a VIP sponsor. González is also president of ���ϲ����� Stage’s board of trustees.

“There is a lot of momentum right now regarding ���ϲ�����’s partnership with the community as an economic driver, research institution, volunteer hub and more,” says González. “Year after year, the Corporate Challenge is a visible example of the collaboration, partnership and togetherness that exists all throughout the CNY region that we are excited to be a part of.”

The University’s involvement was coordinated by a team of people led by team captain John Beecher, budget manager in the School of Education. Beecher coordinated the team along with Emily Winiecki in the Office of Community Engagement, Kim DeStefano from the Wellness Initiative and Lori Levengood from the Office of Government Relations.

“Being a part of something that brings so many ���ϲ����� employees together has been a��powerful experience. The Corporate Challenge presents a unique opportunity to engage folks in a fun way,” says Winiecki. “Not to mention, I beat my time from last year.”

There were many impressive performances by ���ϲ����� faculty and staff,�� including the top spots, personal bests and first-timers.

Sascha Scott earned her fourth consecutive and fifth overall first-place finish in��the women’s division with a time of 20:10.

Sascha Scott, associate professor and director of graduate studies in art and music histories in the College of Arts and Sciences, earned her fourth consecutive and fifth overall first-place finish in��the women’s division with a time of 20:10. Jon French, assistant teaching professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, was the top male finisher from ���ϲ����� and seventh overall with a time of 19:12.

Disha Manocha, marketing strategist in the Division of Marketing and Communications, participated in the event for the first time as a new employee at the University. She says she took a chance��signing up, after not exercising for over a year. “I keep reminding myself to not limit my challenges but to challenge my limits,” says Manocha. “I didn’t win, but finishing the race has gotten me motivated to work out and get back into my dancing shoes.”

Proceeds from the event benefit ���ϲ����� Stage’s educational programming. The Stage, a professional theater in residence at ���ϲ�����, operates as an independent nonprofit organization.

This summer, ���ϲ����� Stage is hosting three programs for local middle school students. Two programs will be held at SALTspace on the Near Westside: July 15-19 and July 22-26. An additional two-week summer program will be held at ���ϲ����� Stage July 29-Aug. 9, teaching students acting, voice and character development. Students will stage a truncated version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the conclusion of the program.

Regular educational programming for the Stage continues in the fall, as ���ϲ����� Stage brings performances to elementary school audiences. This year’s performance will be “Suzette Who Set to Sea.” In addition, during the season, matinee main stage productions at ���ϲ����� Stage are performed only for schools.

“It is a vital part of our mission to serve the community. For as long as we have been in operation, which is 46 seasons, we have been partnering with schools to provide access to and instruction about theater to area students,” says Joseph Whelan, director of marketing and communications at ���ϲ����� Stage.

Anyone interested in bringing programming to children, registering children for programs or learning more about can contact Kate Laissle, associate director of education, at 315.442.7755 or kmlaissl@syr.edu.

The fund was announced in January 2018. This is the second round of grant recipients. All faculty members at ���ϲ����� Abroad centers are eligible.

“The Global Innovation Fund, by providing necessary resources to instructors, helps us attract top-quality faculty members. And it reinforces ���ϲ����� Abroad’s mission to consistently provide students with unique, high-quality, global learning experiences that are steeped in the academic excellence for which ���ϲ����� is known,” says Petra Hejnova, ���ϲ����� Abroad director of curriculum and academic services.

This round’s recipients and projects are:

, instructor at ���ϲ����� Florence, developed a GPS-based augmented reality game for selected history of art courses at the Florence Center. Nelson repurposed the functions of an application called Action Bound to map out an interactive scavenger hunt that uses the GPS function on smartphones to link preprogrammed prompts to specific locations in the city in order to create a historical narrative in which students participate. This in turn helped students actively conceptualize key events of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

and��, instructors at ���ϲ����� Florence, will participate in the pedagogical workshop “’Grammatica si, grammatica no.’ Modelli metodologici per portare la grammatica in classe.” [Translation: “Grammar Yes, Grammar No: Methodologies for Bringing Grammar into the Classroom.”] The workshop is sponsored by the Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri and will give Adriani and Bea the opportunity to learn about new language teaching methodologies and how to integrate learning technologies into the classroom experience.

, instructor at ���ϲ����� London, presented the paper “The Compleat Architect: Joseph Moxon’s Vignola in 17thC London” at the 72nd annual International Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians in Providence, Rhode Island.

, instructor at ���ϲ����� London, chaired a session called “Vasari on Jews, Michelangelo and Miracles” at the Renaissance Society of America annual meeting in Toronto, Canada.

, instructor at ���ϲ����� Florence, will do the final edit and publication of “The Lovers’ Debates,” the first English translation of “Fragmenti di alcuni scritture” (“Amorosi contrasti”) (1617), by Isabella Andreini.

, instructor at ���ϲ����� Florence, attended the Paradox Fine Art European Forum Conference in Riga, Latvia. Stromberg was a steering committee member of the conference, as well as a curator and facilitator of a strand of the conference.

Project applications for the fund are reviewed for their potential to advance ���ϲ����� Abroad’s vision and mission, project viability and the significance of the project objectives. All ���ϲ����� Abroad Center faculty are eligible to apply. Recipients of Global Innovation Fund awards are selected by ���ϲ����� Abroad central and center staff. This year’s selection committee was Hejnova, Mauricio Paredes of ���ϲ����� Santiago and Caroline Tong of ���ϲ����� Beijing. For more information about the ���ϲ����� Abroad Global Innovation Fund, contact Petra Hejnova at phejnova@syr.edu.

Michael Tick, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), has been named dean representative to the board, and Jamie Winders, professor of geography in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been named faculty representative to the board. Three student representatives to the board have also been named. They are Mackenzie Mertikas ’20, president of the Student Association; Mirjavad Hashemi, Ph.D. student and president of the Graduate Student Organization; and Vishwas Paul ’20, who was elected by the Student Association.

Insights from these representatives of the campus community are vital to the board as it supports the University in achieving its vision and mission.

Dean Michael Tick, Dean Representative

Tick, who is also a professor of drama, came to ���ϲ����� in 2016 after serving six years as dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky and 11 years as the chair of the Department of Theatre at Louisiana State University. While at Louisiana State University, he was also the artistic director of Swine Palace, Louisiana’s premiere professional theater company. Tick earned an M.A. in performance studies from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in theatre education from New York University. He began his professional career working as an actor on the long-running sitcom “M*A*S*H.”

Under Tick’s leadership as dean, the college renovated its Office of Student Success to support expanded services for students, including additional professional academic advisors and new career coaches. In collaboration with the University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, he is overseeing a feasibility study to establish graduate online programs in art and music therapies. These programs would be part of a new Department of Creative Arts Therapies.

Tick is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He currently serves as treasurer on the board of directors for the International Council of Fine Arts Deans.

Jamie Winders, Faculty Representative

Winders is best known for her interdisciplinary work on international migration and contributions to geography’s engagements with race, labor and social reproduction. Winders is editor-in-chief of the��International Migration Review and associate editor of cultural geographies. Much of her research focuses on the interactions between changing patterns of immigrant settlement and racial/cultural politics. Winders was a pioneer in the study of new immigrant destinations in a domestic and an international context. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky and joined the ���ϲ����� faculty in 2004.

At ���ϲ�����, Winders has been involved in a number of interdisciplinary projects in fields from environmental studies and science to landscape studies and art history. She was recently named the director of the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute, which focuses on the technology, policy,and social implications of autonomous systems and their applications. Her teaching and scholarship have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Meredith Teaching Recognition Award, and her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and Russell Sage, among other sources.

Mackenzie Mertikas ’20, Undergraduate Student Representative

Mertikas is studying public relations in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and political science in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School. Mertikas, who is from New Jersey, will serve as the president of the Student Association for the 2019-20 academic year.

Mertikas works for the Office of Residence Life, is a brother of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and is the co-chair of the Student Communications Advisory Committee. She previously served on the executive boards of the Traditions Commission and Relay for Life. After completing her degree, Mertikas hopes to work in communications, focusing on public affairs and policy.

Vishwas Paul ’20, Undergraduate Student Representative

Paul is studying economics in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School, and minoring in psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and business in the Whitman School. Paul served as the Judicial Review Board chair for the Student Association during his second year on campus. Paul currently serves on the Student Advisory Council to the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience and is a University student ambassador for University 100.

In Dubai, where Paul grew up, he has worked for several consulting firms. After completing his degree, Paul hopes to work in the field of behavioral economics and investment banking.��

Mirjavad Hashemi, Graduate Student Representative

Hashemi is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the electrical engineering program in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Hashemi will serve as the Graduate Student Organization president for the 2019-20 academic year.

For his doctoral work, Hashemi is working under the supervision of Assistant Professor Sara Eftekharnejad. They are investigating power system operation and planning under uncertainty imposed by heavy penetration of renewable energy resources. Before coming to ���ϲ�����, Mirjavad earned a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran.

This interim space will be shared with the LGBT Resource Center, which moved there this semester, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Once the renovation is complete, these offices will co-locate in the Schine Student Center, furthering their work in inclusion and intersectionality.

To enter Bird Library after 8 p.m., use the Waverly Avenue entrance instead of the entrance by the Einhorn Family Walk and access the library with an SU I.D. card.

On Friday, May 3, from 4 to 6 p.m., the campus community is invited to the Warehouse to experience all of the goings-on in the building. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to . A brief speaking program will be held at 4 p.m. on the fourth floor, where attendees can learn more about the outcomes of the Office of Community Engagement’s efforts and its plans for the future.

The office’s mission is to build on the University’s rich history of engaging with the community by supporting relationships that enhance the academic enterprise and the experiences of students, faculty and staff while also strengthening the community. At the May 3 event, the office will share ways it has carried out this mission across the campus and within the community and describe future plans.

“We are excited to have campus and community members at the Warehouse to engage around the partnership between ���ϲ����� and its surrounding communities,” says Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to the Chancellor. “A relationship rich with history and partnership, the ways in which we ensure authentic community engagement experiences and provide mutual access to the benefits that the campus and community bring are ever-evolving and improving.”

Following the program, attendees are invited to tour the building’s spaces, including the renovated second floor where the Division of Marketing and Communications team resides.

The exhibitions at the Point of Contact, Link and the Sue and Leon Genet galleries, as well as other student work, will be available for viewing:

• Point of Contact will feature “Plans are Cancelled,” ���ϲ�����’s M.F.A. thesis work by students Taylor Clock, Candice Corgan, Rene Gortat, Megan King, Jeremy Tarr and Jie Wang.
• The Link Gallery will feature “Artistical Digital,” showcasing local high school student work from the PAL (Photography and Literacy) Project 2018-19 class.
• “The Industrial and Interaction Design Thesis Show” will be on display in the lobby of the Warehouse, which features work from fifth-year students in the Industrial and Interaction Design program.

Light refreshments will be served on the fourth floor. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided during the speaking program. Parking is available in the lot behind the building and in the lot situated between the northbound and southbound lanes of West Street.

Questions? Contact the Office of Community Engagement at oceed@syr.edu.

The committee will be co-chaired by DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado. A student co-chair will be designated in the coming month. Keith Alford, interim chief diversity officer; Rob Hradsky, senior associate vice president for the student experience; and Marianne Thomson, associate vice president and dean of students, will serve as ad hoc committee members.

“We are grateful to the students that have been appointed to the Student of Color Advisory Committee for their commitment to collaboratively advance a diverse, inclusive and accessible campus community where each community member feels safe, valued, supported and empowered,” says Alford.

Committee members include:

• Kate Alexis Ramos Abogado ’20, College of Arts and Sciences
• Obi Afriyie ’18, G’19, School of Education, graduate representative
• Glenesha Anderson ’20, College of Arts and Sciences
• Colin Blais ’21, College of Arts and Sciences
• Garth Bromfield ’21, College of Arts and Sciences
• Rosa Calosso G’23, School of Education, graduate representative
• Kennedy Hagens ’20, Falk College
• Ashley Hudson ’21, College of Arts and Sciences
• Pruthvi Kilaru ’18, Falk College, graduate representative
• Kayla Mackie ’20, School of Information Studies
• Nqobile Nyabonda ’22, Whitman School
• Raymond Perez Jr. ’20, Falk College
• Andrew Regalado ’20, College of Arts and Sciences
• Natalia Rice ’20, College of Arts and Sciences
• Savannah Taylor ’20, College of Arts and Sciences
• Beruk Teshome ’22, College of Visual and Performing Arts

“We have valued every piece of feedback and concern heard from students in a variety of settings. With this new advisory committee, I am excited to have a formalized process of giving direct student feedback, concerns and ideas the space to be implemented as solutions that will ultimately improve the student experience,” says Maldonado.

After gathering nominations from the campus community, students selected as part of the advisory committee will provide feedback on current and emerging issues and hold meetings with DPS leaders. The committee will serve in an advisory role to the Advisory Committee on Campus Safety, which is appointed by Chancellor Kent Syverud annually in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, of 1990.

The committee will identify key areas of concern and work to recommend solutions to issues and opportunities it identifies. Committee members will serve as liaisons between the greater campus community and DPS to further a dialogue around campus community concerns and DPS procedures.

Members of the committee convened on April 25 for a kickoff social and received a tour of the DPS call center.

“The Role of the Board Seminar was an opportunity for ���ϲ����� to provide our faculty and staff with the skill set they need to be effective board members for our nonprofit community,” says Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to the Chancellor. “Our nonprofit community is looking for a diverse, talented pool of board members, and we are providing the skills to University employees to fill that need.”

Attendees of the seminar learned about trends in the nonprofit sector, nonprofit governance and legal and fiduciary responsibilities of nonprofit board members. Gabe Nuget, partner at Barclay Damon LLP; Mike Milar, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities; and González closed out the day with a panel discussion on the work of a nonprofit board.

“The information provided at the workshop gave me greater insight into the myriad of benefits that serving my community through board work will provide,” says Paula MacDonald, associate director in the Office of Human Resources. “In addition, valuable material was presented to better prepare me to understand the expectations for being an effective board member and strategies to ensure I am able to meet those expectations.��I am looking forward to applying this learning as I explore local board representation in the community.”

Faculty and staff interested in learning more about the Role of the Board and future opportunities may the ���ϲ����� Office of Community Engagement at oceed@syr.edu.

“Instagram Thriller” was one of three short videos created by ���ϲ����� youth at a free film workshop at ���ϲ�����’s South Side Communication Center on Friday, April 19. The workshop, hosted by Simone Girma ’19, worked the middle school-aged students through writing scripts, storyboarding concepts, participating in a table read, pitching their ideas and creating videos. By the end of the day, the students’ vocabulary grew to include such words as “zoom,” “pan” and “extreme close up.”

For Girma, the day was a��culmination of a semester of hard work, and four years of community building. Her big idea: leveraging campus resources to benefit the greater ���ϲ����� community. As a television, radio and film (TRF) major in the Newhouse School and a citizenship and civic engagement (CCE) major in the Maxwell School and the College of Arts and Sciences, this project blended her passions perfectly.

“���ϲ����� has the highest rate of concentrated poverty for black and Latinos. People from underrepresented communities aren’t telling their stories in Hollywood. I saw all of the resources on campus as an opportunity to chip away at these problems,” says Girma. “I know when I was younger, I would have wanted to participate in a program like this, but it didn’t exist.”

So, Girma brought it into existence.

To make the event happen, Girma needed to figure out the logistics of the event and also plan the content of the event. To do so, she spent most of her time connecting resources.

Girma used her capstone CCE class, which tasks students with implementing a community project, to help bring her idea to reality. Girma’s professor guided her through strategic thinking and planning. After learning from professors in the School of Education that a class in the ���ϲ����� City School District would come with a lot of red tape, Girma found the Office of Community Engagement. The office’s vision of building and fostering lasting and mutually supportive connections between the University and the community aligned perfectly with Girma’s vision. Therefore, Girma was connected with the South Side Communication Center; the location of the eventual event. Girma secured funding from the CCE department to provide lunch for the attendees.

“Everyone at ���ϲ����� was so willing to help. Most people want to see projects like this happen. It’s just about getting a conversation going,” says Girma.

To plan the event, Girma worked with members of her fraternity, Delta Kappa Alpha, the professional cinema fraternity. The members stepped up to plan the content of the event and three members, Audra Linsner ’19, Evin Figen ’19 and Maya Quiñones ’19, volunteered at the event. Michael Schoonmaker, associate professor and chair of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School, assisted with the process and helped Girma rent equipment from Newhouse’s Cage to use at the event.

“Film is one of the more compelling forms of telling stories, which is why it is so important to make it accessible to as many people as possible,” says�� Schoonmaker. “Everyone watches film, but not as many make it. It’s an exhilarating experience to share stories, whether about ourselves or the worlds that we see in front of us.”

Once partnered with the South Side Communication Center, Girma found support, guidance and help from Rachielle Scrivens, site coordinator at the South Side Communication Center.

All of the collaboration was worth it when Girma witnessed the impact the event had on the students that attended the free film workshop. Each step of the way, the students were excited, engaged and felt agency over their ability to����to create. While the process was challenging, Scrivens says the looks of accomplishment on the students’ faces while viewing their film was “priceless.”

“This film workshop was impactful because it brought college students and��high school students from all over the city together to a place where they bonded and formed friendships,” says Scrivens. “Students were inspired to get in touch with their creative side and were given the freedom to make their film about what they as a team wanted it to be.”

“The mission of allowing communities of colors to tell their own story is so important because there’s so much creativity. Young people are so creative; they just need the tools to tell their stories,” says Girma.

On Mondays, you’ll probably be using either the north or south ���ϲ����� route or the downtown route. Any day of the week, you can use one of those or one of the dozens of routes in or .

We asked Mary Kate Lee, program coordinator in the Lerner Center, to help us come up with fun ways to integrate Monday Mile into your department’s culture.

Here’s what we found:

Schedule a weekly walking/rolling meeting

We all know the meetings that could be emails…but what about the meetings that could be outside and active? We’d like to think most of them could! Take that recurring meeting outside and everyone will benefit.

Use your lunch break to walk

You have a built-in window of time that is begging to be used to benefit you. Use it! Take a stroll or roll through the closest Monday Mile route—your mental and physical health will thank you.

Monthly Departmental “Walk & Talks”

Use the Monday Mile as a way to get to know your coworkers. Getting together once a month could give folks in your department a chance to boost relationships and morale in a more casual setting. Have fun with it; exercise can be something you look forward to!

Join in on “Monday Mile with a Mission”

The Lerner Center recently launched “Monday Mile with a Mission,” in partnership with student organizations. Each event supports an organization’s mission. Departments, divisions, schools and colleges could create Monday Miles with a Mission depending on their specialty or their relation to a current event. Create your own or attend an existing event—either way, it’s important to sometimes have an extra WHY behind your movement.

Post a picture using #MondayMile

Get out there and complete your Monday Mile. When you do, don’t forget to snap a picture. Anyone who posts the photo to Facebook (@HealthyMonday���ϲ�����), Twitter or Instagram, and tags @HealthyCuse will be entered to win a small prize from the Lerner Center.

So….

With all of these ideas, there’s no reason to not get out there and start your Healthy Mondays with a Monday Mile! Whether you do something above or come up with your own way of getting in that mile, don’t forget to post on social media to let the Lerner Center know!

For questions or to learn more about collaborating with Monday Mile, email lerner@syr.edu.

Past CNY Works summertime students at the University.

For the 12th year, ���ϲ����� is teaming up with Central New York (CNY) Works for the Summer Youth Mentoring/Employment Program. The program, funded by CNY Works, places local students ages 16 to 20 in campus departments to work over the summer. Departments interested in hosting a CNY Works student this summer may contact Sharon Cole, talent acquisition manager in the Office of Human Resources.

“���ϲ�����’s partnership with CNY Works is a prime example of mutual benefit between campus and community. These students are placed at ���ϲ����� to gain skills, confidence and experience that could change their personal and professional trajectory,” says Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to the Chancellor.

Departments interested in hosting a CNY Works student are solely responsible for ensuring that the student has a great work experience; they are not responsible for compensation of the student employees. CNY Works pays the students for up to 25 hours of work per week at $11.10 an hour.

“Helping a student acclimate to a professional work setting and gain exposure to our campus and a higher education environment is the most valuable component of the program,” says Cole. “Campus partners’ shared knowledge and supervision of these students will positively impact their lives for years to come.”

Last summer, ���ϲ����� placed 30 students from the CNY Works program on campus. While a limited number of students are able to be placed at the University, the Office of Human Resources hopes to increase the number of placements for the upcoming summer.

Tentative dates for the program are Monday, July 8, to Friday, Aug. 16. Departments interested in hosting a CNY Works student this summer must complete a student request form available from Cole and sent to her by Monday, May 6.

Ashliqua Menifee

Nearly 100 fifth-graders from the ���ϲ����� City School District’s Seymour Dual Language Academy will be welcomed to ���ϲ����� on Thursday, April 25. For many of the children, ���ϲ�����’s Shadow Day, run by the Office of Community Engagement, is a rare opportunity to spend time on campus with college students. The day gives the fifth-graders an opportunity to see what is possible for them…at least that’s what it did for current first-year ���ϲ����� student Ashliqua Menifee eight years ago.

Menifee says that, as a fifth-grader, coming to campus “gave [her] the opportunity to dream.” As she grew up, though, her dream seemed financially unattainable. Still,��Menifee’s high school counselor encouraged her to look at ���ϲ����� as a possibility.

After submitting applications to multiple schools, the furthest—as allowed by her mother—five hours away, Menifee was accepted to ���ϲ����� and into the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program. The program, funded by the New York State Department of Education, covers the cost of attendance, giving Menifee the opportunity to enroll at the University. And her mother was happy: Menifee was staying right in ���ϲ�����.

Staying close for college was not just for her mother’s comfort; Menifee believes in keeping local talent in the area. After graduating, she intends to stay in ���ϲ�����.

“Growing up in an impoverished community, you develop a negative stigma associated with the place where you grew up and strive to leave,” says Menifee. “Coming to ���ϲ����� and staying here after graduation is my way of showing that good things are possible here.”

As Menifee’s first year as a ���ϲ����� student comes to a close, she is excited to have her experience come full circle; on April 25, she will have Seymour fifth-grade students shadow her for the University’s 21st Shadow Day. ���ϲ����� students will be paired in small groups with Seymour students. They will spend the day touring campus, hearing from campus officials and sharing meals together.

“I’m excited to have the person shadowing me possibly want to come here. I want them to know they have the chance to, regardless of possible financial barriers,” says Menifee. “It’s all possible for them. I want to let them know that as a person from ���ϲ�����, it’s all possible for you.”

Photos and information on the posters from the event can be found on the . Winners of the awards were:

Anne Mosher was the recipient of the Best Faculty Engagement Strategies award.

Best Faculty Engagement Strategies
“Improving Learning Outcome Statements: How to Use Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy as a Base Map”:
Anne Mosher, chair, Citizenship and Civic Engagement, Maxwell School

Colleen Cicotta and Sierra Eastman ’20 were the recipients of the Best Staff Engagement Strategies award.

Best Staff Engagement Strategies
“Community Engaged Learning Outcomes”: Colleen Cicotta, associate director; Sierra Eastman ’20, Shaw Center leadership intern; Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service

Jason Curry and Kimberley Salanger were the recipients of the Best Use of Results award.

Best Use of Results
“Data Driven Decision Making: This is what we are all about!”: Kimberley Salanger, assessment data coordinator and functional business analyst;
Jason Curry, assistant teaching professor; School of Education

Ambika Krishnakumar, Rachel Razza and Eunjoo Jung were the recipeints of the Best Poster Design award.

Best Poster Design
“Development of Young Scholars and Their Career-Preparedness: Human Development and Family Science Assessment Report”: Eunjoo Jung, associate professor and undergraduate director; Ambika Krishnakumar, professor and chair; Rachel Razza, associate professor, Human Development and Family Science, Falk College

Kal Srinivas and Hopeton Smalling were the recipients of the People’s Choice award.

People’s Choice
“Orange SUccess: Managing Change, People, Technology, and Process”:
Kal Srinivas, director for retention;
Hopeton Smalling, functional business analyst; Academic Affairs and Enrollment and the Student Experience

Award judges for the event were Carol Faulkner, associate dean for academic affairs in the Maxwell School; Ralph Lorenz, senior associate dean in the College of Visual and Performing Arts; and Sarah Smith, research associate in the Office of Institutional Research.

Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs; Bruce Carlson, facilities manager in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Monica Stitt-Bergh from the University of Hawaii at Minoa Assessment Office; and ���ϲ����� Libraries all played a role in the inaugural event. For questions regarding the event, email assessment@syr.edu.

At the center of late-night programming are three staff members in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience who manage Orange After Dark (OAD), and

• Lorena Silva, program coordinator in the Office of Student Activities;
• Aaron Landers, programming and Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion coordinator in Recreation Services; and
• Aaron Knighton, assistant director of late night and special events in Recreation Services.

We caught up with Silva, Knighton and Landers to find out more about their efforts to offer students fun, healthy activities during the wee hours.

Lorena Silva

Silva works nearly every Friday and Saturday night (sometimes Thursday, too) to bring free or cost-effective programming to students on and off campus. From red carpet movie premieres to snow tubing to grocery bingo to trampoline parks, OAD provides a variety of programming for students across campus. Supporting Silva is an OAD programming board, composed of student volunteers. Once on the board, students grow professionally and, most importantly to them, they find Silva. Often referred to as “mom” by the students, Silva’s mentorship and late nights with the students create the unique atmosphere that is OAD.

Aaron Landers

Landers is a self-declared “rink rat,” who finds comfort on the Zamboni or skating around Tennity. When joining Recreation Services, he had not been involved with the programming side of the rink. Now, he stays late into the night implementing multiple programs a week for students of all skating experience levels. Leveraging the existing programming and expanding options, Landers has found fulfillment in watching others experience what he and his student employees create together. Namely, every Friday and Saturday night from 9 p.m. to midnight, Recreation Services hosts Late Night at the Rink. Along with the free skate, Tennity is expanding its curling and adaptive skating sport opportunities.

Aaron Knighton

Growing up in ���ϲ�����, Knighton always saw ���ϲ����� as “the dream.” Fast forward years later, he is leading the University’s recreational late night programming and special events. Late Night at the Gym offers students opportunities to play their favorite sport or learn a new activity Wednesday through Saturday from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Flanagan Gym. A new, exciting partnership with the Department of Athletics has given Knighton the opportunity to grow a new late night option: Late Night at the Melo Center. Students can use the basketball courts at the Melo Center for pick-up basketball on Tuesday and Thursdays from 8 to 11 p.m. Managing more than 100 student employees, Knighton focuses on investing in the professional and personal development of his students, as well as the students that attend his programs.

Joyce LaLonde, internal communications specialist; Francis DiClemente, producer; Mary Kasprzyk, editor; and Alex DeRosa, director of multimedia—all in the Division of Marketing and Communications—teamed up to tell this Staff Spotlight story.

Interested attendees can or register on site at the event. For those who cannot attend the event in person, the welcome and morning panel will be live streamed from 9:45 to 11:30 a.m. The panel will feature comics artists and thinkers who are disability rights activists; captions and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. are available online.

Returning to the event this year is TGP Nominal, a United Kingdom-based podcast focused on space, science and technology news, and news from science fiction, comic cons and gaming. Audio podcasts are available on the . Contact TGP Nominal for questions about accessing the podcast.

Hannah Butler ’19

“Own the Dome is an event unlike any other because you get to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with complete strangers who will turn into your classmates, roommates and best friends,” says Hannah Butler ’19, one of the student emcees for this year’s event. “Having a sleepover on the Dome turf—a place that is integral to the experience of any ���ϲ����� student—is an opportunity that you cannot pass up. Attending this event, both as an admitted student and a volunteer, is an opportunity that changed my trajectory and made me bleed Orange.”

Rows of sleeping areas line the Dome turf, inviting admitted students to get some rest the night before an Admissions spring reception. The other three-quarters of the Dome turf is filled with events, activities and games all night. Even though the lights are dimmed from 12:30 to 6:44 a.m., the energy of the night never fades.

Admitted students are welcomed to the turf for a picnic, with the biggest event of the night right around the corner: the most intense game of rock, paper, scissors to ever be played.

“Own the Dome offers a unique way for admitted students to participate in the vibrancy of the student experience at ���ϲ�����, while starting to build connections with fellow admitted students,” says Maurice Harris, dean of undergraduate admissions. “From our student volunteers, to the University 100 members, to the student groups and performers, this event provides a snapshot of being a ���ϲ����� student and the unsurpassed experience they will have here.”

Along with Butler, Barrington Bucknor ’21 is emceeing the event. Both University 100 members, Butler and Bucknor are excited to take on this opportunity from two different perspectives: Butler attended Own the Dome as an admitted student and has come back every year since as a volunteer, while this will be Bucknor’s first Own the Dome.

Over the years of Butler’s attendance at Own the Dome, some things have changed, but the opportunity to connect with new Orange friends has remained. Last year, ThinkFast entertained admitted students for the first time, and they are returning this year. The interactive trivia company’s return, along with the chicken tenders, excite Butler most for the upcoming event.

Looking back on the Own the Dome she attended as an admitted student, Butler remembers the smaller moments being the most transformational. “One of my most memorable is playing Twister with all of my new friends at 2 a.m. in��the Dome.��The Dome was dimly lit to encourage��everyone to get some sleep, but everyone around me was too excited and full of sugar from the ice��cream cart to lay down. The dim lighting made it look like the sun was setting in the Dome, and I remember thinking I had never seen anything more��beautiful.”

Barrington Bucknor ’19

Bucknor is excited to experience the event for the first time alongside the admitted students and the more than 130 current student volunteers that attend. The students involved go through training to facilitate groups of and act as mentors to the admitted students. The responsibility to show admitted students what it means to be a ���ϲ����� student is one that excites Bucknor, given his experience as a tour guide on campus.

“Being a tour guide, I am able to share my love for ���ϲ����� by telling prospective students some of the awesome experiences that are available to them on campus,” says Bucknor. “Emceeing Own the Dome this year, I am most excited about getting the incoming class thrilled about being on campus and meeting some new friends as they start their college journey together.”

On Sunday, when admitted students flood the Dome and the campus, beyond the student volunteers and dozens of staff on site, the whole campus will open itself to folks from across the world that may make ���ϲ����� their home for the next couple years.

“As a high school senior, I arrived at Own the Dome unsure about where ���ϲ����� stood on my list of future schools and, because of the current students who answered my questions, shared their stories and bled Orange throughout the whole event, I flew home to California knowing ���ϲ����� was the school for me,” says Butler.

These trainings offer the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Saver class, which will review adult, child and infant CPR, including AED usage. Members of the campus community that complete the training will be CPR certified at that level.

“In this class, you will review and gain the knowledge of the five links of the American Heart Association chain of survival. With this knowledge, you will be ready to recognize and assist in the event of a cardiac emergency either on or off campus,” says Paul Smyth, manager of emergency medical services in Health Services.

The course costs $50 per person, which includes the certification and a pocket mask. Attendees can pay by check or University interdepartmental order. Please bring a form of payment to the class.

To register, interested participants can contact Smyth at pjsmyth@syr.edu. Class sizes will be limited to 10 people per session. If a group or department would like to arrange a private class, contact Smyth.

There are two contact cards available, one with safety and emergency numbers and the other with support services, including the Counseling Center, Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team, Title IX and Student Assistance. Phone numbers, email addresses, websites and detailed descriptions about these services are all present in the contact card. Students can text “SUSafe” to 444-999 to get both contact cards added to their phones.

To download these contact cards, students should:
1. Text “SUSafe” to 444-999. You’ll receive a text with a download link shorty after.
2. Click the download link in your texting application. You will now be brought to a KeynectUp webpage with a link to the contact card.
3. Click “download card” or “open in contacts” on the KeynectUp webpage. The contact card will now be brought to your contact book.
4. Click “save” or “open in contacts” on the webpage. That’s it, you’re done!

If students have any problems with downloading the card, they can reach out to KeynectUp directly via text or phone call at 603.531.3211 or by email at��support@keynectup.com.

Meetings are held Thursday mornings from 8-9 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., ���ϲ�����. Before and after the program there is time for coffee and networking. TMR is free and open to the public. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is available every week. Free parking is available in both the East and West lots (off Washington and West/Fayette streets), as well as on the street until 9 a.m.

April TMRs will have the following topics and guests:

April 4, Homelessness in Onondaga County

Dan Sieburg, of the Rescue Mission, and Megan Stuart, of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of CNY, will speak about the state of homelessness in Onondaga County. This is in partnership with FOCUS Greater ���ϲ�����.

April 11, County Executive

Ryan McMahon, county executive for Onondaga County, will speak about his transition and plans moving forward.

Aprill 18, SU Athletics

John Wildhack, director of athletics for ���ϲ�����, will present on the state of athletic programs at ���ϲ����� and his career thus far.

April 25, WCNY’s New President

Mitch Gelman, president and CEO of WCNY, will speak about his new role and the future of WCNY.

The guests and topics are chosen by the TMR Advisory Committee, which is made up of 10 CNY community members and managed by Emily Winiecki, community engagement coordinator in the Office of Community Engagement. Questions or comments regarding TMR can be emailed to oceed@syr.edu.

A recording of the TMR conversation airs on WCNY-FM radio Sundays at 8 p.m.

From 1-2 p.m., attendees are welcome to view the posters and vote for the People’s Choice Award. All voting attendees can enter to win a raffle prize. In addition to the People’s Choice Award, judging for other award categories will take place during this time (Best Faculty/Staff Engagement Strategies, Best Use of Results and Best Poster Design). At 2:15 p.m., Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs, will provide brief remarks and present the awards.

All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the event to learn more about how campus constituents have been using assessment to enhance student learning and campus operations. Free snacks and swag will be available.

Poster presentations include work from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Falk College, School of Information Studies, Maxwell School, Newhouse School, School of Education, University College, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS), Shaw Center, Orange SUccess, ���ϲ����� Libraries and IEA.

Questions regarding the event or accommodations requests can be sent to the Assessment Working Team at��assessment@syr.edu.

Walking into Goldstein Auditorium on Friday morning, the excitement, fun and comfort of the conference could be felt by every attendee. Over 150 African-American, Latina and African women, between the ages of 13 and 18, from the ���ϲ����� City School District and local ���ϲ����� community centers flooded the auditorium: registering, grabbing breakfast and finding a table to fellowship with classmates. It was the start of a transformative weekend for the young women.

SaQuota Reaves ’13 welcomes attendees to the 15th Sisters Empowering Sisters Conference.

SaQuota Reaves ’13, a teacher at the ���ϲ����� Academy of Science Charter School and ambassador board member of Image Initiative Inc., was the first to welcome attendees. As she approached the podium, her students in the audience cheered her on. Fifteen years ago, Reaves had been in the same seats as her students—attending the first-ever SES Conference as a participant.

“I came to this program broken. I needed a place that was safe and secure and would allow myself to step into my own person. This organization gave me room for that and opened up doors I thought I would never be able to walk through,” said Reaves.

Reeves entered SES a “broken bully” and left with the drive to be and do better. Five years later, she graduated from ���ϲ����� with a degree in African American studies and women and gender studies, both in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in special education and is publishing a book.

The magic behind the conference and Image Initiative Inc. comes from Nicole Watkins ’93, G’98, G’03, founder and president of Image Initiative Inc.

When Watkins was making a decision on what to do after high school, she realized it was not so much a decision for her to make but one her mom had made for her. Watkins, who ultimately attended ���ϲ�����, was the only person in her immediate family to attend and graduate college at the time. Ten years later her mother joined her as a student at ���ϲ�����.

Nicole Watkins holds the proclamation sent by Senator Rachel May to Image Initiative Inc. recognizing its work on the 15th conference.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Watkins went on to earn an MBA from the Whitman School and an M.A. from the Newhouse School. Two years later, while continuing her education through a certification program in the Maxwell School, Watkins created Image Initiative Inc. as part of her coursework in Mary Tschirhart’s class. Katina Stapleton, another former Maxwell professor, was Watkins’ initial advisor and eventually became a founding board member.

“I started this organization because I am a fierce advocate for women. As a woman of color, it was vitally important to me to help young women coming up behind me,” says Watkins. “I would not be where I am today without the examples of, guidance from and mentoring of incredible women. How could I NOT do something?”

Image Initiative Inc. has multiple programs in which the experience culminates with the SES conference. Throughout the year, it provides consistent programming through the CHOICE Experience on skill development and life enhancement, Cultural Excursion Program that exposes students to environments and cultures beyond ���ϲ�����, and the BUILD Mentoring Collective of mentoring.

The continuing programming and conference are made possible by a Board of Directors, Advisory Board and Ambassador Board. Collectively, the 15-person Board of Directors has over 15 degrees from ���ϲ�����, ranging from bachelors to doctoral degrees, with more in the works. Many are also current or former employees. On the board are women that have been with Image Initiative Inc. since its inception, including Tiffany Rush ’93, LaRhonda Ealey G’16, Jossette Burgos G’17 and Vanessa Chaves-Asforis ’04, G’04.

Chaves-Asforis returned to campus for the conference this past weekend—her first time back since 2004—because of the anniversary and the message she wanted to share with the young women.

Vanessa Chaves-Asforis leads a mindfulness workshop for over 150 attendees.

Given her upbringing in a violent environment, Chaves-Asforis felt she always needed to be on alert—a feeling she believes many young women attending SES also feel. Chaves-Asforis, now CEO of a lifestyle brand, eventually learned how to be present and found sustainable mindfulness practice.

“Knowing how thoughts literally manifest into things, it became evident that if I could change the quality of my thoughts, I could change everything else in my life,” says Chaves-Asforis. “If young girls could have that experience now, can you imagine the life that they would create?”

This desire to provide the 13 to 18 year olds the resources and skills to create the life they want is universally held by the dozens of volunteers at the event. Primarily all women of color, the volunteers came from across the country to engage, enlighten and empower students that many saw as themselves at one point in time. One of the most poignant moments was when the women volunteers called out their sororities’ roll call. Sounding off, each of the four sororities from the Divine Nine were represented.

That lineage is represented through current ���ϲ����� students, who continue the tradition of Divine Nine involvement, particularly Watkins’ sisters from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. have participated in Sisters Empowering Sisters since its inception and continue to support the program 15 years later.

“Women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. always lead by example and seek to fill gaps, even if they go unnoticed. It reinvigorated us to see Nicole Watkins in action as it was a physical reminder to hold true to our principles and continue to serve our respective communities,” says Savannah Taylor ’20, chapter president of the Kaptivating Kappa Lambda Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Kala Fogg ’20, vice president, adds, “There were many women who are in Divine Nine organizations involved with the initiative and the conference. This just goes to show how much is possible with Greek unity. All of these organizations are focused on serving their communities, so it only makes sense for all to play a huge role in a conference such as this one.”

For more information or to support Image Initiative Inc., visit��.

Current ���ϲ����� undergraduate students are needed to be volunteers on Shadow Day; students must be available from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 25. As part of their duties, students will be paired with fifth grade students to spend the day with. In the morning, the pair will eat breakfast, attend a welcome program and take a group photo. From 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. students take the fifth grade students around campus or to an academic class, and they will have lunch at Schine Student Center.

Students interested in volunteering, must fill out the by April 5. Before Shadow Day, they must attend a training briefing. Date and time of the training are to be determined.

Interested students can contact Emily Winiecki, program coordinator in the Office of Community Engagement, with questions.

TMR is a weekly civic education program whose speakers discuss current topics and issues important to the Central New York community. air on WCNY-FM Sundays at 8 p.m.

At the Feb. 7 TMR, attendees heard from the newly appointed chief about his plans and vision for the ���ϲ����� Police Department (SPD). Notably, Buckner talked about encouraging, but not pushing for, ���ϲ����� residency of SPD personnel. He also discussed proactive/community policing. The is available on the WCNY website.

As a follow-up, Peter McCarthy, board chair of the����and Ranette Releford, CRB administrator, presented on the board and its future. They discussed the CRB’s eagerness to work with Buckner to establish the best police force for ���ϲ����� and the board’s role in mediation during cases. The is available on the WCNY website.

Both TMR sessions left ample time for questions. Before and after the program, community members enjoyed coffee and networked with one another.

“Continuing ���ϲ�����’s partnership with FOCUS Greater ���ϲ����� was exciting after a successful fall series on economic development,” says Emily Winiecki, community engagement coordinator for the Office of Community Engagement.��“With the arrival of Chief Buckner, we were eager to have him address TMR, as well as hear from the Citizen Review Board, on how they will both work in their capacities to make ���ϲ����� a safe city for all.��We strive to increase access to community engagement opportunities through TMR and our partnership with FOCUS Greater ���ϲ�����.”

Two more programs remain in the March schedule. Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway will discuss the negative impacts of legalized marijuana on March 21, and ���ϲ����� Stage Managing Director Jill Anderson and Artistic Director Bob Hupp will talk about the 2019-20 ���ϲ����� Stage season.

For up-to-date information on the TMR schedule, visit the ���ϲ����� website and the .

Meetings are held every Thursday morning from 8 to 9 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., ���ϲ�����. TMR is free and open to the public. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is available every week.

The training offers the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Saver class, which will review adult, child and infant CPR, including automated external defibrillator usage. Members of the campus community that complete the training will be CPR certified at that level.

“In this class, you will review and gain the knowledge of the five links of the American Heart Association chain of survival. With this knowledge, you will be ready to recognize and assist in the event of a cardiac emergency either on or off campus,” says Paul Smyth, manager of emergency medical services in Health Services.

The course costs $50 per person, which includes the certification and a pocket mask. Attendees can pay by check or ���ϲ����� interdepartmental order. Please bring a form of payment to the class.

To register, interested participants may contact Smyth at pjsmyth@syr.edu. Class sizes will be limited to 10 people per session. If a group or department would like to arrange a private class, contact Smyth.

Petite and plus-size dress designs by Sheila Xu ’20 and Kalthom Aljiboury ’20.

The entire fashion design program has gone all in for the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Go Red for Women campaign. In collaboration with AHA and the Office of Community Engagement, the program is hosting “A Red Dress Affair” on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., ���ϲ�����.

The event benefits Go Red for Women–AHA and has a suggested donation price of $50. All donations include entrance to the event, spirits, light hors d’oeuvres and a tour of the fashion design program and the . In the entryway of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, attendees will see red paper dresses made by first-year students. Second-year students will be scattered throughout the building to answer questions and act as tour guides.

As the feature piece of the event, juniors in the fashion design program created 24 red pieces for display. Jeffrey Mayer, professor and program coordinator of fashion design and the Maurice E. and Dorothea I. Shaffer Art Professor in the School of Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, illustrated 10 of those dresses; the illustrations will be auctioned off at the event.

“People in the community are excited to see how a designer gets from an illustration to an actual dress. Often, people who are not in an industry as ‘fashion design’ may not know the planning, time and extraordinary detail that goes into the initial creation. This event provides an insider’s look, as well as a great way to bring the community and ���ϲ����� together to spread heart health awareness,” says Barbara Huntress Tresness, Go Red for Women executive leadership team member and Open Your Heart chairperson for the campaign.

What community members will see on Wednesday is a small glimpse into the work from faculty, students and staff that has led to this event.

One day in early fall, Mayer was walking through the halls of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, where the fashion design program resides, when he bumped into Trina Tardone, director of Go Red for Women. She was leaving a meeting with Bea González, vice president of community engagement, special assistant to the Chancellor and co-chair of the ���ϲ����� Go Red for Women campaign this year. This encounter in the stairwell blossomed into an important collaboration between AHA and the fashion design program.

“As chair of the ���ϲ����� Go Red for Women campaign, I found it my responsibility to bridge the community efforts to campus and develop mutually beneficial relationships that build awareness around heart health,��says González. “A Red Dress Affair, variations of which have been done across the country for years, epitomizes the goal in enhancing the student experience, engaging faculty and having community impact.”

Leading the charge from the fashion design program is Kirsten Schoonmaker, assistant teaching professor for fashion design. For her fall semester course, Fashion Design Studio III, all designs turned red for A Red Dress Affair.

“This project opened the door to the idea that our work exists outside of these walls for the students. They learned that it can have impact on someone other than you,” says Schoonmaker.

Not only were these dresses created for an important cause, they challenged students in ways they hadn’t been challenged before. This was the first time their dresses would be on display, viewed by the public.

The students had 12 days to design and create their first dress. Sheila Xu ’20 and Kalthom Aljiboury ’20, both students in Schoonmaker’s course, welcomed the quick, albeit daunting, challenge and viewed it as preparation for the “real-world.”

The process of fabric to prototype has many steps. Xu drew inspiration from Audrey Hepburn and thought of elegant women when sketching the designs of her dress. Aljiboury thought of a strong woman in her late twenties.

The second dress presented the students with another “first:” create a plus-size piece. The project was part of the program, a design initiative that promotes the creation of size 12+ designs in the junior year. Creating these pieces is an important skill for students to have coming out of the fashion design program; 12+ represents the size range that the majority of American women wear, but the fashion industry doesn’t adequately reflect that.

Even though this was the first time students designed for the 12+ size, the plus-size pieces still had a demanding timeline. The day the first dress prototype was due, the concepts for the plus-size dress were due. Tracy Reese, prominent fashion designer, critiqued the student illustrations and offered suggestions to the designers. The students began making the look on Nov. 26 and presented their final work on Dec. 5.

For this piece, Aljiboury drew her inspiration from her mom, as well as supermodel Emme ’85, creator and supporter of Fashion Without Limits. Xu was inspired to make a day-to-night piece for a late-twenties big city lawyer.

For the final review, Tardone and Huntress Tresness joined the class to ask questions and provide suggestions about the dresses. It was an opportunity for the students to learn about heart health and also, for the first time, have their products reviewed by consumers.

“This process was really helpful because we were not designing in our own bubble. Connecting the design to the community and learning what they wanted to feel made the assignment more exciting because we were doing something for the community and saw our pieces on somebody. The difference we were making to increase heart health awareness was the inspiration,” says Xu.

Recreation Services, in partnership with Drumlins Country Club, is offering all SU/ESF ID card holders the opportunity to try cross country skiing and snowshoeing for free until March 31 (weather permitting). In order to prepare ourselves for embracing the tradition of winter sports, we worked with Scott Catucci, associate director in Recreation Services, to figure out what snowshoeing is all about.

What should we wear?

Bundle up. You are quite literally walking, or waddling, in cold weather. The magic maker for snowshoeing is the boots. Make sure they are insulated, waterproof and have thick soles. As far as clothes, aim for moisture-wicking layers. You’ve got your base layer. You’ve got your warm layer. You’ve got your outer layer. Put it all together, add on a hat and gloves and you should be good to go. Pro tip: don’t forget about sunscreen.

REI has a nifty that you could use before your day on the trails.

I’m dressed. Now what?

Get to Drumlins! At Drumlins, access to the cross country ski and snowshoe trails and equipment is free for all SU/ESF ID card holders. Access is located next to the Golf Pro Shop. The trails and equipment are open and available Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Driving or ride sharing? Plug in this address: Drumlins Golf Course, 800 Nottingham Road

Taking the Centro Campus bus? Check out the .

Okay, I’m here. How do I do it?

Strap those snowshoes on and go for it! Walking on the flat/rolling ground of the trails at Drumlins will be pretty intuitive. Keep in mind that your stance will be slightly wider than usual, which might bring some soreness after your first couple times out. Worth it though. Do as the penguins do and waddle your way to winter bliss.

What makes snowshoeing so great anyway?

Snowshoeing is a fun and easy way to get outside during the winter months and stay active. It also provides an opportunity to see a new perspective on winter and snow. Most people just think of the downsides of snow (shoveling, slippery roads, etc.), but when you get out and snowshoe you experience the beauty and solitude that snow brings to the surrounding areas.

Any extra fun times to go give it a try?

Sure! Check out Cocoa, Coffee and Twilight: Early morning ski/snowshoe and a cup of cocoa or coffee from 7 to 9 a.m. The next one is Tuesday, March 5. No advanced registration is required for this non-guided program.

Meetings are held every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., ���ϲ�����. Before and after the program there is time for coffee and networking. TMR is free and open to the public. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is available every week.

March TMRs will have the following topics and guests:

March 7: Legalization of Marijuana: Positive

John Torrens, professor of entrepreneurial practice in the Whitman School, will speak about positive effects of legalized marijuana.

March 14: Citizen Review Board

Peter McCarthy, board chair of the and Ranette Releford, administrator of the Citizens Review Board, will present on the Citizens Review Board and its future.

March 21: Legalization of Marijuana: Negative

Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway will present on the negative impacts of legalized marijuana.

March 28: ���ϲ����� Stage 2019-20 Season

Jill Anderson, managing director, and Bob Hupp, artistic director, both from ���ϲ����� Stage, will present the current ���ϲ����� Stage season 2019-20.

The guests and topics are chosen by the TMR Advisory Committee, which is made up of 10 community members and managed by Emily Winiecki, community engagement coordinator in the Office of Community Engagement. Questions or comments regarding TMR can be emailed to Winiecki.

A recording of the TMR conversation airs on WCNY-FM radio Sundays at 8 p.m.

Inkululeko Board Secretary Ronald Taylor ’15, G’16 and Board Chair Nicole Osborne ’14 in South Africa.

Walking into Luzuko Methodist Preschool, a preschool outside of then-Grahamstown, now called Makhanda, South Africa, in summer 2014, Nicole Osborne ’14 was welcomed into a classroom of 2- and 3-year-olds. Where language differences left communication gaps, song and dance filled them. The children danced to the song “Jika” (which means “turn” or “twist” in Zulu) by the South African band “Mi Casa.” The song was a hit in the country at the time and had a viral dance to go with it that the kids knew. The ���ϲ����� students who joined Osborne on the ���ϲ����� Abroad summer program jumped in and learned the dance alongside the kids. This dance would later bond them with South African college students and even create memories at the dance club. Everyone knew the “Jika.”

The common joys found in music transcend cultural, country and literal barriers. That lesson grounds Osborne as she works to alleviate the common struggles of South Africa and the United States through her work with , a partner organization of the summer program.

Osborne, currently a research analyst in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs and a graduate student in the School of Information Studies, is planning a hallmark event for Inkululeko, “���ϲ����� Meet South Africa,” on March 1 in ���ϲ�����. For the first time, an Inkululeko South African staff member will come to the University. Zuko Gqadavama, resource development coordinator, will be at the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., ���ϲ�����, on Friday, March 1, at 6 p.m. for a meet and greet with the University and CNY community. All are invited to meet Gqadavama and learn more about Inkululeko’s partnerships with ���ϲ�����.

The event cost is $5 for students and $15 for general admission. Thanks to donations from the Office of Community Engagement and Price Chopper, the cost of the ticket will be a direct gift to Inkululeko. Primary needs of the organization are more computers, expanded internet access and other academic tools. “The donations shall not only benefit the learners but parents as well, because a burden of internet café costs shall be lifted upon their shoulders as Inkululeko will be providing such services with the help of your donations,” says Gqadavama. Those interested in attending may and contact Osborne with any questions.

Gqadavama is also making an appearance on campus one day prior as an invited speaker for the Newhouse Center for Global Engagement’s “No Innocence This Side of The Womb” symposium. The event—Thursday, Feb. 28, in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3—will explore issues of equality, privilege and justice in ���ϲ����� and South Africa. Gqadavama is a participant in the 5 p.m. panel “South Africa to ���ϲ����� – ‘A Common Struggle.’”

Gqadavama’s first ���ϲ����� appearance will be at the Office of Community Engagement’s Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR). While there, he will about his experience as a member of the “born-free” or after the apartheid ended generation. A weekly civic education program, TMR meets at the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in the fourth floor Community Engagement space from 8 to 9 a.m., with coffee and networking before and after the session.�� TMR is free and open to the public, with a rebroadcast of the recording on WCNY-FM radio on Sundays at 8:00 p.m.

Thursday Morning Roundtable is a weekly civic education program, which brings in speakers to discuss current topics and issues.�� TMR meets at the Warehouse in the 4^th floor Community Engagement space from 8:oo to 9:00 a.m., with coffee and networking before and after the session.�� TMR is free and open to the public, with a rebroadcast of the recording on WCNY-FM radio on Sundays at 8:00 p.m.

“What excites me about going to SU is the fact that I will be representing the views of an African child to the world, views that are mostly misinterpreted by the world and those who finds themselves in better positions of power and wealth,” says Gqadavama. “More than anything, I want the audience to be inspired to continue the conversation even after the symposium. I want the audience to be motivated to take the bottom up approach in dealing with social issues they faced and understand that the power is theirs regardless of social status and class.”

For the past eight years, has worked with ���ϲ����� Abroad, Falk College and departments across campus to advance its mission to “provide South African township youth with the skills, support and guidance necessary to apply, attend and succeed in university; to challenge the bigotry of low expectations for township youth; and to provide sustainable, positive change; student-by-student, generation-by-generation.”

Osborne was introduced to the power of this mission during that summer nearly five years ago, and its presence in her life has grown. After two years as the Inkululeko Board of Director’s secretary, Osborne is now serving as board chair. And she is far from alone in ���ϲ�����’s connection to the nonprofit. About 120 students have studied abroad through the ���ϲ����� Abroad summer program, and more than 100 others have supported Inkululeko: serving as interns, volunteering, researching and more. The students leave these experiences with personal and professional growth, as well as an everlasting bond to both the organization and the community it serves.

In fact, Osborne is one of five ���ϲ����� alumni to serve on Inkululeko’s 12-person board, along with Imranul Haque G’11, G’14; Adam King G’12 and a current student in the College of Law; Ronald Taylor ’15, G’16 (board secretary); and Kristin Toellner G’13 (board treasurer).

“In many ways, ���ϲ����� has been an integral partner of Inkululeko since the organization started,” Osborne says. “Together, we are challenging the norm for what learning looks like both in the U.S. and in South Africa. As an SU alumna and board chair of Inkululeko, I’m honored to be a part of furthering our mission of global education and skills development.”

In its day-to-day operations, Inkululeko partners with the Rhodes University Office of Community Engagement and Social Development to have tutors from the Rhodes University School of Education work one-on-one with Inkululeko youth. The social enterprise unit of Inkululeko blossomed from a collaborative entrepreneurship course with the Whitman School. The unit launched the Common Grounds Café, which provides a space for young people, run by young people, to have fun playing a board game, participate in a soccer tournament or go online—all opportunities hard to come by in Makhanda before the café.

“We are profoundly grateful to have sustained, robust, mutually beneficial partnerships with ���ϲ����� for nearly a decade, particularly with Falk College and ���ϲ����� Abroad. From 8,000 miles away, students and faculty from SU have affirmed the transformative power of education,” says Jason Torreano, executive director of Inkululeko. “Folks in CNY have had a profound impact on moving our organization forward through developing marketing materials, helping with social media, assisting with grant writing and helping design our website.”

One of the most recent collaborations involves the Policy Studies Program in the Maxwell School and the course PAF 410: IT and Business Applications. Under the guidance of Bill Coplin, professor of policy studies and director of the program, and led by Kelsey May ’17, the students in the course are challenged to analyze cloud-based applications, execute product implementation strategies and create a data collection tool for Inkululeko. This will ultimately lead to the development of a mobile application to track learner progress and serve as a community engagement tool.

Gqadavama is the Inkululeko staff member leading the charge on the policy studies partnership. Gqadavama was born in rural Lusikisiki, South Africa (Eastern Cape Province of South Africa). He attended high school in Humansdorp; studied at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, where he majored in psychology; and received an honors degree from Rhodes University. During his studies at Rhodes, he worked with ���ϲ����� students. Now, he does it full time and will soon be on the campus he tangentially serves.

���ϲ�����’s partnership with Inkululeko dives into both the collective struggle and joy shared between culture, communities and countries. For students interested in learning more, there are many ways to get involved: attend one or both of the events described above; study abroad through the program “South Africa Immersion: A Global Health Education Experience” (keep in mind, the deadline to apply is Wednesday, Feb. 20, and new merit-based scholarships are available); and contact Osborne or Torreano for information on the many opportunities for collaboration.

Presentation details are listed below.

Tuesday, Feb. 19
Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library
11-11:45 a.m.
Candidate: Kathryn O’Connell

Wednesday, Feb. 20
Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library
11-11:45 a.m.
Candidate: Stephanie Woodward

Thursday, Feb. 21
Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library
11-11:45 a.m.
Candidate: Elizabeth Sierra

Each presentation has time built in for Q&A. American Sign language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. Interested attendees can contact Radell Roberts for the candidates’ resumes or with any questions.

The initiative challenges the campus community to:

,
and

acts of bias at ���ϲ�����.

Learning how to recognize bias is the first step in the STOP Bias process. Examples of bias-related incidents range from racist or derogatory images/drawings to using a slur to identify someone. The new web page further explains bias and its relation to, but differentiation from, hate crimes.

“First and foremost, each of us has a responsibility to identify our own biases, to check how they may be problematic and to correct them. In tandem, if we are in a situation where we witness a bias-related incident, we must be a responsible member of the Orange family and intervene when it is safe to do so,” says Rob Hradsky, senior associate vice president and dean of students.

Once a person has witnessed or experienced a bias-related incident on campus, they can use the to report the incident to the University. The reporting tool can be used anonymously or an individual can share contact information for follow up.

After a report is made to the University, the submitter will receive an automatic acknowledgment of the submission. If requested, this acknowledgment will be followed by contact from the University within 48 hours. The individual will be contacted by either the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS) or the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience, depending on the nature of the reported incident. The Department of Public Safety, Title IX office and the Counseling Center will be notified when appropriate.

“When reports are made, we work to respond accordingly by providing support, intervening or educating based on the situation,” says Sheila Johnson-Willis, associate vice president and chief equal opportunity officer. “Reporting acts of bias also helps us understand the types of incidents occurring, biases that exist and potential trends on campus.”

Materials regarding the STOP Bias initiative have been disseminated to residence halls, South Campus residents, off-campus students and dining centers, as well as to faculty and via digital platforms. To request materials, contact the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience at 315.443.3514 or email stopbias@syr.edu. In addition to the communications materials, are available through EOIRS.

As part of American Heart Association’s (AHA) Go Red for Women campaign, the Hall of Languages, Hendricks Chapel and the Nancy Cantor Warehouse will be illuminated by red lights from Thursday, Jan. 31, to Sunday, Feb. 3. Today, AHA’s Go Red For Women campaign will be celebrated across the country, coinciding with National Wear Red Day. Everyone across the country, including ���ϲ����� community members, are encouraged to wear red.

The Go Red for Women campaign found its roots after a 2003 landmark study revealed that heart disease was the number one killer of women. The campaign, which attempts to raise awareness of this serious issue, has made the red dress an iconic symbol of the battles against heart disease in women.

Bea González, vice president for community engagement and special assistant to the Chancellor, is chairing the ���ϲ����� AHA Go Red for Women campaign. In this role, González continues the work of the previous years to educate and bring awareness to heart health to the ���ϲ����� community, with a focus on women of all ages. The group that is working with González on the campaign is representative of the ���ϲ����� community; its deliberate inclusivity and diversity is a strength that González credits for its success as the ninth most active and productive Go Red for Women Circle of Red in the country.

An annual event, National Wear Red Day, falls on the first of February this year and brings attention to cardiovascular disease in women by encouraging everyone to wear red and take positive action to live longer, healthier lives.

“We want women to take February first as an opportunity to think about how to improve their own heart health,” says González. “As 80 percent of cardiovascular disease in women is preventable, we hope to educate women on the importance of knowing their cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index numbers; staying active; making healthy choices in the kitchen; and managing their blood pressure.”

To learn more about wellness offerings and opportunities, please visit .

The event is on Monday, Jan. 14, at 3:45 p.m. in the Jack and Laura Hanhausen Milton Atrium in the Life Sciences Complex. The program includes remarks from Student Association President Ghufran Salih ’20 and Chancellor Syverud.

The Chancellor will address several priority University initiatives, outline the progress that has been made and look ahead to opportunities for continued growth and distinction in 2019.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS) office at 315.443.4018.

An informal reception for the campus community will follow.

Those interested can follow live tweets of the Chancellor’s address and join in the conversation on Twitter at #BeOrange. The transcript and full video will be available on news.syr.edu following the event.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit http://syracuse.edu.

The concept for the student-focused research, creativity and discovery office was born of a collaborative vision of students, faculty, staff and administrators. Keeping this student focus in mind, the office, in partnership with the Student Association and the Renée Crown University Honors Program, seeks student ideas for a name for the new office.

Students have until Friday, Jan. 18, at 11:59 p.m. to for the name of the office. The name should encapsulate all aspects of the office: research, creativity and discovery. A team of undergraduate peer mentors will judge entries. The student with the top idea will win a $250 gift card.

Students are encouraged to also think about a concept statement, which describes the ideas or emotions the suggested name intends to evoke. While the naming competition is underway, the office is gearing up for its grant competitions. Application information and deadlines will be announced soon.

Sam Arencibia working at an SCPS light board.

Behind the scenes of every production is a team making it all happen. An organized chaos of choreographed disarray moves to give the audience the experience and “wow” moments for which they attend the theater. Samuel Arencibia, a senior in the B.F.A. program in stage management in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), graduates this December to begin orchestrating the chaos full-time as a stage manager. Not until, however, he wraps up “,” a show currently being co-produced by ���ϲ����� Stage and the Department of Drama through Jan. 6.

Technical “tech” week is an exciting and stressful week in theater productions. It’s the first time all of the technical elements—including costumes, lights, sound, set and makeup—are brought together to rehearse on stage. Tech week is an opportunity to witness everything coming together and fine-tune the power of the performances. When production entered tech week for “Elf the Musical,” there was a, well, technical problem: the production team was unexpectedly down a deck crew member.

Arencibia had been shadowing the production process as part of his six-credit internship with ���ϲ����� Stage’s production management department. Two hours into the first day of tech week, something clicked in his mind. “I was thinking, I graduate college on Dec.��6 and don’t start work until the 23rd of January. Being the deck crew member would allow me to fill this gap and still have time to move. It was perfect,” says Arencibia. “I knew this was my moment to ask. If I couldn’t��ask for this opportunity��here—in a place where I knew everyone—how was I going to survive in New York City?”

Mustering up the courage, Arencibia approached the production stage manager and proposed that he fill the vacant role. After checking dates and determining there would be no adverse effect on Arencibia’s internship, the production stage manager agreed and told Arencibia he’d start in 20 minutes. One quick trip home to grab the proper clothing, and Arencibia was ready for his “Elf the Musical” adventure.

At the start of “Elf the Musical,” Arencibia had not been behind the stage since his first year at ���ϲ����� and had not worked such a large production since his junior year of high school. With nervousness and excitement fueling his tenacity, he was ready to be a part of the production as a deck crew member. In this role, Arencibia and five other deck crew members make scene changes and prop handoffs happen.

The first 30 minutes of the show run on a constant rush of adrenaline back stage. In that relatively brief amount of time, the stage transforms from Santa’s workshop to New York City to Macy’s, which leads to a giant number, “Sparklejollytwinklejingley,” where the stage, performers and props all sparkle. Arencibia says learning from the assistant stage managers during tech week on how to create the traffic patterns for all of these stage, prop and costume changes was an incredible learning experience. What took two to three hours to map out, takes two to three minutes during the performances. Arencibia executes those quick-turnaround processes, following the patterns and playing his part in the choreographed chaos.

Sam Arencibia with the stage management team at a musical theater camp he helps run.

At one point in the show, Arencibia is responsible for a “hippity hop,” which is a blow-up exercise ball with handles. In his dress blacks and headset, he discreetly stands in a small corner of the stage while holding the hippity hop. Performers run on stage, and Arencibia listens for a loud “BANG!” When the bang sounds, the actors have put something down on the stage, signaling Arencibia to run up the wing with the hippity hop and put it in the correct location. As Arencibia places one hippity hop, an assistant stage manager runs across the stage with another hippity hop to bring it to its end location.

While Arencibia enjoys this adrenaline rush and the experience he is gaining from “Elf the Musical,” he looks forward to the full-time job he starts as a stage manager for Arts Power, a theater company for young audiences, after production wraps up. He will be the principal person who organizes and supervises the production. Being the bridge between creative and technical, Arencibia will be based in New York City and tour the country with “Madeline and the Bad Hat” for five months starting Jan. 23. And so he will begin his career journey as a freelance stage manager.

The preparation for this journey started with an early passion found during his upbringing in Colonia, New Jersey. As a child, Arencibia loved the theater, originally as a performer. Then when given the opportunity to stage manage “The 25th Annual County Spelling Bee” in high school, he knew he had found his path. “I fell in love with working with both the technical and performance sides,” he says. “It was a way to still be in the rehearsal room but also do what I enjoy most: problem-solving and the technical side of theater. I knew then that I wanted to do this the rest of my life!”

But first he was determined to obtain his B.F.A. Given that a limited number of universities offer B.F.A. programs, ���ϲ����� was automatically a finalist on his dream-school list. After learning about VPA’s special relationship with ���ϲ����� Stage, Arencibia knew it was where he wanted to be.

Don Buschmann, instructor and program coordinator in stage management, has taught Arencibia and currently supervises his production management internship. “I liken the program’s education to a teaching hospital because students are working side-by-side with you,” Buschmann says. “There’s a really good balance of production work and classroom work. It’s not just do, do, do or talk about it, talk about it, talk about it. It’s both.”

Sam Arencibia working a Juice Jam concert.

As part of his educational experience, Arencibia last May was the stage manager for the Department of Drama’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Learning by doing, he took full advantage of the opportunity. While only nine actors appeared in the performance, 12 different people were on headsets behind the scenes and 16 more were crew. And while the director may be in charge of the ship, Arencibia says the stage manager is the one who holds the navigation chart.

When Buschmann walked into a meeting for “Little Shop” last year, he watched Sam steering the ship with confidence. “Sam really demonstrated the initiative, leadership and ability to work with and manage his peers,” says Buschmann. “Showing that kind of maturity as a junior to do those things is really kind of remarkable.”

For the show, the production team had only five weeks instead of six for rehearsal. Arencibia was accustomed to tight deadlines thanks to his on-campus job with the Student Centers and Programming Services’ (SCPS) event and technical services team. It’s common to meet an event organizer not long before an event and have to come up with lighting, sound and staging on the fly.

“Sam is very dedicated,” says Scott Casanova, associate director of SCPS. “Sam has always been one of the first people to volunteer his time to help SCPS staff and improve events. He will often take time ahead of performances to meet with the directors and the students running the performances.”

During his time with SCPS, which he began on the first day of his first year on campus, Arencibia has had the opportunity to work with then-Vice President Joe Biden in the Schine Student Center and with major artists at Juice Jam. This experience had enabled him to broaden his scope of expertise and open up a world of post-graduation possibilities.

“I have spent a lot more time in a lot of different scenarios than many others [in my field] might have. I have done so many events now that when something goes wrong I don’t freak out,” he says. “When something goes wrong, when you’re sliding down a hill, you’re supposed to just release the gas. During my time at SCPS, I have learned to just release the gas.”

This lesson in patience has guided Arencibia during his stage management experience. Throughout a production, if something goes wrong, the stage manager must stay calm and be a problem solver. And he must be patient and supportive. From this blossoms trust between the stage manager and the production staff, and the choreographed disarray of backstage takes form to provide the audience with a seamless display of art on stage.

Every year since 2001, CNY Reads One Book picks a single book title to distribute throughout the area in hopes of catalyzing dialogue among community members of all walks of life. This year, through a partnership with the University, the organization has chosen “Born a Crime.”

Working with SU’s Office of Community Engagement, more than 100 copies are circulating in the Onondaga County Public Library System and 65 more books will be used as library giveaways with “Read this book and pass it on” stickers on the covers. In addition to the Onondaga County Public Library System, nine other libraries or book clubs have received memoirs through the partnership.

“This collaboration with CNY Reads One Book is exciting. A completely volunteer-based organization, CNY Reads One Book serves with the fundamental goal of providing Central New York a shared experience and dialogue,” says Bea González, vice president of community engagement. “This partnership gives ���ϲ����� the opportunity to be partners in that mission and provide support, further bridging campus and community.”

González has also been working with other community organizations interested in distributing “Born A Crime,” including the Upward Bound Program at Le Moyne College and the Shonnard Street Boys and Girls Club. Jaime Alicea, superintendent of the ���ϲ����� City School District (SCSD), has started a reading circle around “Born a Crime” with his superintendent’s cabinet—a group of students representing each school in the district. The cabinet will be hosted at the in January.

University community members who want to donate their copy of “Born a Crime” may drop off the book at 235 Schine Student Center or 304 Steel Hall. Students, faculty and staff who have not yet obtained their free copy of “Born a Crime” should go to the third-floor service counter of the SU Bookstore and present their SUID.

Dinner/program tickets for the MLK Celebration are sold out. Program-only tickets are $5 for students and $15 for SU staff, SU faculty and the general public. Tickets may be purchased , in person at the Dome Box Office (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and by phone (888-DOME-TIX or 315.443.2121, option “zero”).

Through an independent study course advised by Andrew Saluti, assistant professor and program coordinator in the museum studies graduate program, Barber is the collections manager for the “Americans Who Tell the Truth: Models of Courageous Citizenship” exhibition on display Nov. 29-Dec. 14 in the Schine Student Center’s Panasci Lounge.

The 238-piece exhibition of Robert Shetterly’s “Americans Who Tell the Truth: Models of Courageous Citizenship” series taking shape in the Schine Student Center’s Panasci Lounge.

Sponsored by the Maxwell School’s in cooperation with the , the ���ϲ����� exhibition is the first time that all 238 pieces in Shetterly’s portrait series will be displayed publicly in one location. It’s a massive undertaking, with Barber charged with the care and display of the collection.

“This experience is really valuable and unique because I would never have the opportunity to go and see the full process happen with a regular internship,” says Barber. “I was there for the discussion and design, going to get the artwork, meeting the artist and making that connection. I’m seeing the whole process, which is rare.”

“It’s a big thing to ask a graduate student to manage this kind of project,” says Saluti, speaking of Barber. “To be able to say you managed a project with this level of coordination—the travel, the over 230 objects—that’s not only a professionally wonderful exercise for her, but it’s the kind of real-world, hands-on experience our program tries to give our students.”

Beginning the journey of bringing the portraits to campus, Barber and Saluti rented a 26-foot box truck on Nov. 1 and drove about 10 hours to Portland, Maine. Their destination was Shetterly’s home, a bit further up the coast, where the portraits were being stored. Loading all of the portraits was a two-day project that took the efforts of Barber, Saluti, Shetterly and Shetterly’s wife. Adding to the fun, a documentary film producer, SU alumnus Richard Kane ’72, was on hand, capturing footage for a film project about Shetterly, “Our Children’s Future: A Portrait of Robert Shetterly.”

Museum studies graduate student Hannah Barber (left) with Gail Page and Robert Shetterly amidst the packed portraits of the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” series.

Barber and Saluti brought with them a case of packing tape, 10 rolls of 100-yard plastic sheeting, commercial-rated cardboard shipping boxes and full sheets of two-inch foam to ready the portraits for transit. To prepare for the portrait pick up, they created a customized object management database. On Day One in Maine, Barber used the database to inspect each piece, report on the condition of it, and set the foundation for its tracking throughout the whole process. After meticulously reporting on each piece, the group of four prepped the portraits in Shetterly’s basement. They spent 10 hours carefully wrapping and taping each portrait with a brief 30-minute break for lunch. The second day, after three more hours of wrapping and taping, the paintings were carried upstairs to the waiting truck. As the portraits were loaded in, and rain poured down, emotions overcame Shetterly.

“[Shetterly] was slightly tearing up and couldn’t believe that we were finally at this point,” says Saluti. “It was just finally hitting him that this was actually happening.”

Being responsible for the first all-encompassing exhibition of Shetterly’s landmark collection is a responsibility and privilege Barber takes seriously. “This exhibition is really important because it has been Rob’s main focus for the past 20 years of his life,” she says. “It’s huge to see it all together … and have an entire space to show what he has been doing.”

Bringing the Shetterly exhibition to ���ϲ����� has been a multi-year effort involving an organizing committee and multiple departments across the University. Among those leading the project is Jim Clark, professor of theater management and program coordinator in the Department of Drama in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Andrew Saluti, assistant professor and program coordinator in the museum studies graduate program, instructs museum studies students on the hanging of the exhibition.

Last winter, after it was decided that the exhibition would come to campus, Clark reached out to Saluti about designing a space that could house the 238 portraits. Having to think outside of the prepared blank walls of a museum, a few potential locations were proposed, with Goldstein Auditorium as a frontrunner option. Taking floor plans of the area and drawing an accurate 3-D model of the space using SketchUp, Saluti drafted a design by manipulating the entire space—and the outer hallway—to accommodate all the pieces.

Then, due to unforeseen circumstances, the location needed to be changed.

After consulting with Physical Plant, Student Centers and Programming Services, and the Office of Special Events, Saluti proposed Panasci Lounge as the next best location. The idea presented some new concerns.

“For Panasci, the biggest challenges were working with the existing architecture of the space and acknowledging the use,” says Saluti. “The lounge is still an active study center, and this exhibition happens to fall during the two final weeks of the semester, a busy time for the space.”

Still, Panasci Lounge was deemed workable. In fact, coupling the exhibition with the student lounge space presented opportunity for engagement and visibility that other spaces could not provide. Once the location was confirmed, the gallery space needed to be designed—a significant task given the sheer number of pieces and the vast amount of wall space required. During the countless hours spent redesigning the exhibition space, Saluti found himself innovating and creating in ways that an ordinary exhibition would not need. The most significant of the innovations was the realization that custom walls would need to be built and installed in Panasci Lounge on a temporary basis, through the run of the exhibition.

Students hang Robert Shetterly’s portrait of Dorothea Lange.

The idea of the pop-up exhibit outside of the traditional museum walls is increasing with popularity around the world. Therefore, the real-life application of the Shetterly exhibition design and implementation process is not a missed lesson on the museum studies graduate students.

“The students have to take what they’ve learned and know about the best practices of handling, installing and managing the objects and employ that in a nontraditional exhibition environment, which to me is a wonderful exercise,” says Saluti.

The construction of the gallery took place Monday, Nov. 26, and Tuesday, Nov. 27. The installation relies on volunteer help, primarily from the 33 students in the museum studies graduate program. Sharing this experience with her cohorts is what excites Barber the most about the project.

“This project takes a lot of hands, and I love getting to know my classmates more intimately,” she says. “In this field, you lean on each other a lot. A lot of people wear a lot of hats and therefore must be multi-skilled. You learn a lot from each other, build off each other and help each other.”