, means something different to everyone as it celebrates individuals embracing their full identities, including disabilities. In the pursuit of recognizing the intersectionality and diversity within disability, honoring and educating about the experiences of people with disabilities, the campus community is encouraged to participate in a variety of events.

“Disability Pride Week, which centers on the voices and perspectives of disabled people, reflects the collaborative effort of multiple units on campus. We have been meeting for months to brainstorm, plan and operationalize a full week of events celebrating disability identity, culture and pride. This collaboration mirrors the collective responsibility we all need to take to ensure our campus is moving toward greater accessibility and inclusivity for all members of our community,” says , director of the Center on Disability and Inclusion.

Disability Pride Week 2024 Events

“Through inclusive programming with campus and community partners the Disability Cultural Center fosters personal growth and positive disability identity that builds a sense of belonging, fosters academic self-efficacy and aligns with ���ϲ�����’s Academic Strategic Plan framework to advance excellence for every member of our community,” says “, director of the Disability Cultural Center. “Alongside campus partners, we challenge ableist attitudes, inaccessibility, discrimination and stereotypes, through programming that directly connects students, faculty and staff to the disability community at large both on and off campus.”

A variety of events will be hosted April 14-20 including:

• Sunday, April 14:
• Monday, April 15:
• Monday, April 15:
• Tuesday, April 16:
• Wednesday, April 17:
• Friday, April 19:
• Saturday, April 20:

Visit the for a complete list of events and details.

Disability Pride Week Keynote Speaker Ali Stroker

Ali Stroker

The campus community is invited to join keynote speaker Ali Stroker, Tuesday, April 16, starting with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The is required to attend.

Stroker is a trailblazing actress, singer and activist who made history as the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway. Her powerful performance in “Oklahoma!” earned her a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical. Stroker is an inspirational speaker who uses her platform to advocate for greater representation and inclusion of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry and beyond. Stroker’s keynotes draw from her own courageous journey, sharing insights on overcoming barriers, building confidence and embracing one’s authentic self. Her remarkable story and uplifting messages have motivated people of all backgrounds to redefine what’s possible.

To learn more and for year-round resources, please visit the following websites: , , , , and the in the Burton Blatt Institute.

Story by Student Experience Communications Graduate Assistant Kalaya Sibley ‘24, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications ��

Hosted by the , the , the , the , and the , these events follow the highly successful on Oct. 3.

Included in National Disability Employment Awareness Month is the “Disability Poetics Launch” featuring panelists (from left to right): Meg Day, Kenny Fries, Cyree Jarelle Johnson, Stephen Kuusisto and Naomi Ortiz.

“The events we have highlighted this month showcase the disabled experience in college and beyond, and also deliver resources to faculty and staff on how to create a truly inclusive campus,” says , professor of inclusive education and director of the Center on Disability and Inclusion.

“We are fortunate to have a strong coalition of offices, centers and institutes at ���ϲ����� working every day to bring more awareness, opportunities and resources.”

The campus community is invited to engage in all opportunities, including the following events:

Oct. 10, 3-4 p.m. EDT
Location: Virtual (See event details)

Oct. 12, 9-9:15 a.m.
Location: 347 Hinds Hall

Oct. 13, 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: 306 Steele Hall

Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m.
Whitman School of Management, Milton Room 411

Oct. 19, 9-10:15 a.m.
101 Crouse-Hinds Hall

Oct. 24, 2-3:15 p.m. EDT
Virtual

Oct. 26, 9-10:15 a.m.
247 Crouse-Hinds Hall

For more information about National Disability Employment Awareness Month, visit the Office of Disability Employment Policy .

For more information about accessibility and varied disability programs, services and resources at ���ϲ�����, visit .

“It is exciting once again for ���ϲ����� to host a����during Disability Pride week. We will come together to honor the lived experience of disability and disability identity as a proud part of our full and diverse identities,” says William Myhill, director of disability access and ADA coordinator in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events, both on-campus and virtual, coordinated by the��,��,��, and the����in the Burton Blatt Institute to celebrate and learn from people with disabilities and their lived experiences.

The featured event on Wednesday, April 19, will be , Eddie Ndopu, described by��Time magazine��as��“one of the most powerful disabled people on the planet.”�� Ndopu is perhaps best known for his human rights advocacy with respect to advancing disability justice at the forefront of the international development agenda.

Some of the other events featured during this week include the following:

• Sunday, April 16:��
• Wednesday, April 19:��
• Wednesday, April 19:��
• Friday, April 21:��

“Disability Pride Week is a brilliant way for disabled students, staff and faculty to build community on campus, while simultaneously raising awareness for unaware nondisabled individuals,” says Alexis Wilner ’24, a drama major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a member of the disability event planning committee. “As a disabled student myself, I value the presence of such an event supported by University offices and organizations. Rather than simply saying that the University supports marginalized individuals, this is one of many ways that they have shown a commitment to accessibility and inclusion.”

“By attending and participating in Disability Pride Week events, we hope that members of our campus community develop a strong understanding of disability culture and recognize how vital disabled students’ sense of community and culture are to their positive identity formation,” says Carrie Ingersoll-Wood, director of the Disability Cultural Center. “By participation in events, we hope that our community members come to understand that by building a diverse, inclusive and vibrant campus, they will set a trajectory for celebrating and validating disability as global citizens in their future professional career spaces.”

In addition to the events planned for Disability Pride Week, the University community can visit the on the first floor of the Schine Student Center, for a schedule of events and information on campus resources related to disability, access and inclusion. Free T-shirts and other giveaways will also be available for those who stop by.

“We will be showing clips from current and historical videos related to disability pride and history,” says Christine Ashby, director of the Center on Disability and Inclusion in the School of Education. “Visitors will be invited to add a message or image to a legacy book we are creating to honor Judy Heumann and her leadership in disability rights advocacy and activism.” Heumann, who passed away on March 4, 2023, was an author, disability rights leader, founder of the World Institute on Disability, former assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, former special advisor on disability rights for the U.S. State Department, and subject of the documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.”

For more information and for resources that are available year-round, visit and the and for upcoming events.

Students, faculty and staff from ���ϲ�����’s InclusiveU joined representatives of other schools and colleges across the state to advocate for increased state funding for disability services in higher education on Feb. 8.

In partnership with the University’s ,�� and , —part of the —brought more than 40 representatives to this full-day event. The ���ϲ����� team visited the Senate Chamber as guests of Sen. Rachel May (D-48).

“The trip to Albany was monumental on several levels,” says , Lawrence B. Taishoff Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education, Taishoff Center executive director and head of the . “Not only was it an opportunity to join with colleges and universities from across the state to advocate for much needed funds for disability in higher education, it also gave our students a chance to make the connection between what we do at ���ϲ����� and how this all fits into a larger structure and goal.”

Representatives of InclusiveU pose with State Senator Rachel May (fourth from left).

Lawmakers, led by Assemblymember Harvey Epstein (D-74) and Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26), introduced a resolution memorializing Feb. 8 as Students with Disabilities Advocacy Day in the State of New York.

Among the budget priorities the students advocated for are $13 million in state funding for , supporting access and inclusion of all New Yorkers with disabilities in higher education and , expanding financial aid options for college students with intellectual disabilities and making aid sources—such as the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)—accessible for these students.

, the University Professor and Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the , will honor contemporary disability culture, delivering a presentation addressing the less-than-nuanced history of normalcy and how such a concept has been constructed from the Victorian era until modern times.

A panel discussion featuring University faculty, staff and students will follow, addressing the topic of disability arts and culture.

The talk will occur on campus in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library, and online via Zoom. . American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided, and light refreshments will be served.

“If the history of disability teaches us anything, it’s that disability life stands for freedom and not oppression,” Kuusisto says.

This free event is sponsored by the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach and the in the Burton Blatt Institute, with the support of the , the , Atrocity Studies, the , the , the and .

International Day of Persons with Disabilities was originally proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly to promote an understanding of disability issues around the globe while increasing awareness of how the inclusion of disabled people in every aspect of life benefits everyone.

Hosted by the , RockAbility was born from DCC director goal to host an event that both appealed to everyone on campus and helped destigmatize disability by centering disability as diversity. RockAbility will feature both live music from the and an opportunity for campus community members to learn more about disability culture.

Before the show, there will be a one-on-one discussion with the band members at 7 p.m. in the Underground. Doors for the show open at 8 p.m., with the concert running from 8:30-11:30 p.m.

The alternative rock band Tijuana Danger Dogs will perform at the Underground in Schine Student Center on Friday, Nov. 4, during the University’s first-ever RockAbility concert.

“Music is universally understood and a great segue for conversations about the intersectionality of disability, more specifically, how individuals with injuries learn how to reinvent their identities,” says Ingersoll-Wood. “In addition to the concert, I hope students will attend the one-on-one conversation with the band. Co-founder Michael Toyryla is not only a gifted performer, he’s a charismatic conversationalist who has an important story to tell about his injury, rehabilitation, and making his way back to performing as a musician with his bandmate, Jesse Wheeler.”

Tijuana Danger Dogs began in 2011 as an outlet for pop and electronic music ideas Toyryla and Wheeler couldn’t use in other projects. In 2010, Toyryla was paralyzed following an accident, and his music ambitions became an afterthought. As his recovery progressed, Toyryla and Wheeler formed the Tijuana Danger Dogs.

The band has released several songs and signed with New Vine Records in early 2022, releasing their latest Extended Play (EP) in April 2022. The band currently has a live act that incorporates original songs and covers.

This event is free for ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students with a valid student ID. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase (cost of $10) for staff, faculty and the general public. Tickets are available through the .

Story by Tessa Hodinger G’23, graduate assistant in Student Experience Communications

In the case of Diana Garcia-Varo ’23, when she decided to attend ���ϲ����� and study both psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and art video in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, she was not only leaving behind everything she had known, she was also leaving behind a well-established cultural community that meant the world to her.

Senior Diana Garcia-Varo credits her involvement with the Intercultural Collective with creating a cultural community and connecting her to her Mexican American heritage on campus.

Garcia-Varo, a proud Mexican American, enjoyed being surrounded by a diverse cultural community when she was growing up in the Bronx, New York. What does her heritage mean to her?

“It means community, it means family and it means finding people who are always there supporting each other, whether we share the same background or not. It’s about connecting and creating that community that makes us feel like a family,” says Garcia-Varo.

She’s the first to admit it was a big “culture shock” coming to ���ϲ�����, which has a student body consisting of 52.4% white students, compared to 9.8% for Hispanic or Latinx students.

While Garcia-Varo initially struggled to find her community on campus, that all changed when she was hired by the Intercultural Collective during the second semester of her freshman year.

“I saw a lot of students from different backgrounds and identities, and it reminded me of my neighborhood in the Bronx. It was a cool space to connect, and whether they were just hanging out or having important cultural conversations, it was a great way to find my new community. Those were such meaningful interactions because I was able to meet students and staff members who shared a similar background as I did,” says Garcia-Varo, who also works as a peer mentor for the .

Garcia-Varo knew she wasn’t alone in her desire to connect with her cultural heritage on campus, and over the summer, she was presented with a terrific opportunity to both showcase that pride in her heritage and pursue one of her passions: highlighting authentic stories featuring people of color on campus.

Breana Nieves Vergara, coordinator of mentoring programs in , approached Garcia-Varo about producing a video for the University’s annual .

Knowing the crucial role of Garcia-Varo’s involvement with Multicultural Affairs and the Intercultural Collective played in discovering her community, Garcia-Varo set about finding students who could share how their involvement with on-campus organizations allowed them to connect with their cultural identities.

Over the summer, Garcia-Varo interviewed 11 students from across campus—some who were involved with student organizations pertaining to their culture, like the and , others who were active in academic programs like the and others who belonged to Greek life organizations.

Diana Garcia-Varo speaks to the crowd about her video used to showcase how ���ϲ����� students connected to their cultural heritage through student organizations on campus.

Regardless of their heritage, Garcia-Varo said every one of the students she profiled told the important story of how belonging to these student organizations allowed them to maintain their authentic cultural identities while connecting with their peers and discovering a community on campus.

The video debuted to rave reviews during the Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on Sept. 15

“One of my goals as a videographer is to highlight authentic stories and accurately depict the student experience here at ���ϲ�����. It was really important for me to have students from different backgrounds share their experiences, and it was powerful,” says Garcia-Varo, who produced versions in and to make her video accessible to as many people as possible.

“One of the biggest takeaways was the importance of students of color coming together to create a community and a home away from home. Sometimes you may have to start your own organization, sometimes you have to seek out these communities, but they are there,” she adds.

While the Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month programs serve as a source of pride for those who trace their ancestry to more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, they’re also an opportunity to demonstrate to the rest of the campus community the rich cultural heritage of the University’s students, faculty and staff.

The importance of celebrating one’s culture on a predominantly white campus is not lost on Garcia-Varo.

“For us, Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month is forever. This month puts our culture out there for people who may not stop to think about it. This is who we are, and this is what our rich culture is all about,” says Garcia-Varo.

The University’s Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations have included weekly Café con Leche—translated as “coffee with milk”—discussions on important cultural topics like��What is Latinx?, ��(Sept. 23),��Celebrating the First-Generation College Student Experience��and����(Oct. 4).

The culminating program is the��Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month and Fourth Annual LGBTQ+ History Month��, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, featuring Paola Ramos, a Cuban American author, Emmy Award-winning journalist and Latinx advocate who also worked as deputy director of Hispanic media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and served on President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012.

“The ADA was the floor, not the ceiling,” says Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion. “As we reflect on the anniversary of the ADA, it’s important for us to understand how inclusion and accessibility fit into our diversity commitment. We must dismantle all the barriers to inclusive learning and move toward a more social justice and equity-minded framework.”

There is a need to press beyond the tenets of the ADA. “Like the experiences of persons with marginalized identities based on race, gender identity, and religion for instance, the civil rights laws that have provided some tools for protecting the disabled from discrimination have not eradicated the attitudinal barriers that society creates and that our social structures perpetuate,” says William N. Myhill, M.Ed., J.D., interim director and ADA/503/504 coordinator. “This is why compliance with the laws is not enough, and why we have offices of diversity and inclusion that champion equity, where attitudes fail to provide meaningful access in our learning materials, teaching practices, workplaces, and the information and communication technologies we use.”

It is the attitudinal transformation that is still underway, 32 years after the ADA became law.

“When you pass a civil rights law, a culture goes with it,” says Stephen Kuusisto, director of interdisciplinary programs and outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute. “A disability culture has begun to permeate the arts, the public sector, corporate life, even international diplomacy. But there is still a stigma attached to the disabled and the disfigured. And that’s why the unemployment rate for the disabled remains 70 to 80% in this country. And why only one in four students who enters college and identifies as disabled actually persists to graduation.”

“It is now a crucial time to recommit to the principles of the ADA for full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities,” says Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D., chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), a global advocacy organization for people with disabilities. BBI, a distinctive program built at ���ϲ����� by the former dean of its School of Education, has offices in ���ϲ�����, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

Valuing Diversity

The University’s draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Strategic Plan, states clearly that accessibility involves ensuring that “physical and psychological obstacles do not prevent individual achievement or participation.” Throughout its history, the University has acknowledged the value of diverse individuals, talents and experiences—from creating programs for nontraditional learners to the vast set services for students of color and underrepresented groups, as well as veterans and military-connected families.

Recently, the Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted ���ϲ����� as one of the first universities in the nation to create a disability cultural center. In the article, “In Fight Against Ableism, Disabled Students Build Centers of Their Own,” the authors noted that such centers “help students find a sense of self and belonging” and “foster a sense of community, promote activism and disability justice.”

“There is still much work to be done to ensure full and equal participation of people with disabilities,” says Carrie Ingersoll-Wood, director of the Disability Cultural Center. “While the ADA provides specific protections for the disability community, the onus of enforcement and compliance of the law continues to fall on the individuals it protects. For example, if an individual with a disability faces discrimination on campus or at work, it is incumbent on the individual with the disability to file a complaint or lawsuit to enact compliance.��Looking into the future, it is important that��everyone��on campus understand the importance and power of collective action to challenge ableism in all its forms.��I think that modeling an inclusive community on campus is pivotal to driving positive generational and societal change toward embracing disability as a diverse identity.”

University leadership who collaborate on diversity and inclusion issues say policies and practice must be acutely sensitive to the intersection between the disabled and those who have been historically marginalized or discriminated against.

“Each year as we celebrate the anniversary of the ADA, it is important to reflect on the progress we have made in advancing disability rights, but it is equally important to acknowledge that the law is not always equally applied,” says Paula Possenti-Perez, director of the Center for Disability Resources. “Our diverse identities that intersect with disability, leaves many experiencing violence, oppression and discrimination. Our complacency is ableism; therefore, we must remain vigilant in our work toward upholding the ideals of the ADA.”

More Inclusive Approaches

The community that is defined as disabled is growing exponentially to include individuals with psychiatric, emotional and intellectual challenges—oftentimes defined as invisible disabilities—that demand more inclusive approaches to teaching and learning.

“We know that the adverse impact of the pandemic—from isolation to economic hardships to medical complications—was amplified for people with disabilities. Still, the pandemic forced all of us in academia to think more creatively about the learning process for all our students, and to redesign pedagogy and curricula,” says Almandrez. “Frankly, one of the principles of good design is that it is good for everyone. Now that we are moving through this pandemic, let’s not forget the inclusive thinking that values each individual for their potential and for their contributions.”

On this 32nd anniversary of the ADA, those who advocate for inclusion of individuals with disabilities see no difference between disability rights and human rights. The ADA, by establishing standards for compliance with the law, also inspired the world to see disability through an equity lens, and expanded opportunities for people with disabilities to contribute in countless ways to a dynamic campus culture, society at large, and progress on a global scale.

“There’s not much poetry in the ADA, but in a way, that’s what it needs,” says Kuusisto. “It needs more imagination.”

Huey Hsiao is the associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Kessler Scholars Program and the interim director of the Disability Cultural Center.

As the associate director of and the and the interim director of the , Huey Hsiao considers himself fortunate to be able to guide ���ϲ�����’s students, providing a safe space for them to figure out who they are.

In his role, Hsiao provides leadership and direction on programming that enriches the University’s diverse campus culture and leads to academic, personal and social success for students.

It has been a meaningful career in higher education for Hsiao, who for nearly 20 years has worked to advance diversity and inclusion efforts, spearhead student success, especially for first-generation students, and more among college students.

It’s also a path he never envisioned himself taking when he was pursuing his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Rochester.

“Whether it’s the opportunity to figure out their identities, what they want to study, what their career can be, or what their personal interests are, part of my job is helping students feel comfortable and feel like they belong here at the University. I don’t think I could have drawn up a better career path than what I’m doing right now, as part of a wonderful team at ���ϲ�����,” Hsiao says.

As an undergraduate, Hsiao did not have everything figured out but was on the pre-med track. While the plan sounded good in theory, Hsiao wasn’t passionate about the medical field.

Reflecting on the path he followed until a summer vacation after his sophomore year, he admits that, perhaps he went down the pre-med track because “of societal or parental pressure.”

Originally from China, Hsiao’s parents moved to the United States and planted their roots in Connecticut. Hsiao grew up in a predominantly white town and attended school with mostly white students, although he did attend a Chinese school on Sundays.

Hsiao says it was “like pulling teeth” going to Chinese school and he eventually quit around seventh grade.

It wasn’t until that family trip to China during the summer before his junior year at Rochester, when he visited China and Taiwan, that Hsiao decided to re-connect with his cultural roots.

He started taking Chinese classes again and did a study abroad semester in China during the second semester of his junior year at Rochester, “an amazing, eye-opening experience” that motivated Hsiao to learn even more about his culture and his heritage.

Eventually, Hsiao spent time teaching English in China after college and later accepted a job with the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), a study abroad provider, helping students who wanted to pursue a semester abroad as a program advisor and enrollment officer.

“It felt great, helping guide college students and encouraging them to participate in these life-changing study abroad programs,” Hsiao says.

After five years with CIEE, Hsiao knew it was time for a career change and decided to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.

From there, he��accepted a job as assistant director of student services for M.B.A. and M.S. programs in the Whitman School, combining his interests in helping students with his graduate degree, before joining the Multicultural Affairs staff in 2012.

Huey Hsiao (far right) poses with students and staff during a Multicultural Affairs open house.

In his current role, Hsiao co-chairs the planning committee for the University’s celebration, leads programs aimed at enhancing belonging and student success, like the Kessler Program and WellsLink Leadership Program, and mentors students of color and first-generation college students on academic, personal, social and cultural matters.

Hsiao is proud of the work the University is doing for first-generation students through the Kessler Scholars Program, which provides comprehensive support��to help students reach their goals from the moment their ���ϲ����� journey begins until they graduate.

“The Kessler Program is bigger than just the individual students; it’s about changing that overall narrative of what it means to be a first-generation college student, providing them with these great opportunities and connecting them to resources that will help them reach their goals,” says Hsiao.

“Disability Pride Week celebrates disability as an identity and its rich culture,” states Eboni Britt, executive director of strategic communications and initiatives in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “The week includes events and activities that not only showcase disability pride but also emphasize the wealth of resources that are available to our students, faculty and staff with disabilities.”

The week begins on April 18 with the opening of the , which showcases disability culture and history. The Disability Pride Space provides visitors with the opportunity to share what disability pride means to them and learn about the disability community. The Disability Pride Space is located at Bird Library, Room 114, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“Disability pride celebrates people embracing their full identities, including disabilities, and can mean something different to everyone” says Disability Pride Week planning committee member Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri, administrative assistant in the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach.

One of the week’s signature events is . Girma is Harvard’s first Deafblind graduate whose conversation will take the audience through her work to advance disability justice as a Black disabled woman and a daughter of refugees. This event occurs on April 21, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Visit the full for all events scheduled and additional information.

As part of the program students will be connected to a peer or staff member with a disability. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about their mentors’ successes and challenges during their college careers and gain advice on how to overcome obstacles.

“Coming to campus with a disability can be isolating and challenging. You are not alone,” shares Kate Corbett Pollack, Disability Cultural Center coordinator. “Our peer mentors and group leaders understand the types of issues that students with disabilities frequently encounter, and many of us have been through the same things. The Access Mentoring Program is dedicated to the success and mentorship of undergraduate students with disabilities.”

New topics are discussed per meeting. Students are encouraged to share and guidance is provided surrounding successes and challenges navigating campus, accessing campus resources, social life, achieving academic success and more. During meetings all members are invited to join in on the discussion.

“The Access Mentoring Program is a way for me to connect with other undergraduate students and discuss what is going on in my classes, with my accommodations and just to talk about disability culture with the group facilitators from the Disability Cultural Center,” shares Danielle Burden ’23.

Free spring 2022 meetings are hosted from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Intercultural Collective, 132 Schine Student Center.

For more information or to join the Access Mentoring Program, email Kate Corbett Pollack or call 315.443.0228.

Story by Division of the Student Experience communications intern Haley Mykytka ’22, College of Visual and Performing Arts

Samuel Levine

On Tuesday, March 1, 2022, from 7 to 8:15 p.m., in 114 Bird Library, the Disability Cultural Center will host keynote speaker Touro College of Law professor Samuel Levine, and asks the campus community to gain additional education of and resource awareness in honor of Disability Day of Mourning. There will also be a book signing for Levine’s book, “Was Yosef on the Spectrum?” American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available, and kosher food will be provided.

Helping to lead awareness is Kate Corbett Pollack, coordinator of the Disability Cultural Center.

“���ϲ����� has a long history of being inclusive and accessible. Examples include starting the School of Education Disability Studies Program, its legacy of disability rights activism and hosting the Disability Cultural Center—one of the few that exist but an important part of the campus community,” Pollack says.

Pollack also encourages that awareness and activism go past students’ time on campus.

“It is really important for everyone to know about these issues so we can collectively work to address them,” she says. “Being educated about and aware of available resources is especially important for students who are studying law, forensic science and many other disciplines, such as social work or education, where they may encounter disability.”

For additional information or to request accommodations, email Kate Corbett Pollack at kjpollac@syr.edu or call 315.443.0228.

Story by Division of the Student Experience communications intern Haley Mykytka ’22, College of Visual and Performing Arts

The virtual programming, which requires registration, includes the following:

• with Kate Corbett Pollack, Disability Cultural Center coordinator, Oct. 20, 3-4:30 p.m. ET
• with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Disability Resources, Oct. 22, 1-4 p.m. ET
• with attorney, writer, activist, consultant, sex worker and artist Katie Tastrom, MSW. Esq., Oct. 27, 6-7:30 p.m. ET

“Disability is an identity that is celebrated in our community; we fully embrace our disabilities and want others to do the same,” says Pollack. “In order for this to occur, people need an understanding of the issues that the disability community faces.”

The topics in the Disability Awareness Month programming not only cover core issues related to disability but also give participants tools for thinking about disabilities in new ways.

Issues impacting campus community members with a disability and accessibility are key areas of focus for the University. Recently, the Diversity, Access, and Inclusion Council was established to finalize recommendations that seek to remove all barriers for disabled people on campus.

“Ensuring that everyone has access to the full campus experience is essential and aligns with the principles of equity that our office promotes,” says Eboni Britt, executive director of strategic communications and initiatives for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “Disability Awareness Month, and the programming we are offering, will make participants think differently about disabilities and access, and that’s exactly what we want, a difference.”

Registration for the programming is required and can be accessed by visiting the . Communication Access Real-Time Translation, American Sign Language and captioning will be available during each of the sessions.

OrangeAbility provides an opportunity for people with and without disabilities to learn and experience a variety of inclusive and adaptive sports, services and programs related to health and wellness. The activities will celebrate disability cultures and identities while providing a space for all to feel welcome and comfortable.

“OrangeAbility is an adaptive expo for people with and without disabilities who can learn about what kind of adaptive, accessible equipment and facilities you can use at the Barnes Center at The Arch,” says Kate Pollack, coordinator of ���ϲ�����’s Disability Cultural Center. “From esports to the climbing wall and more, OrangeAbility breaks down the barriers to access in health and wellness.”

OrangeAbility is an annual health and wellness event for people with and without disabilities. [Please note, this image was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and does not reflect current public health guidelines.]

“We’re excited to partner with the Disability Cultural Center to further weave health and wellness throughout the student experience,” says Matt Hackett, Barnes Center at The Arch director of recreation. “Expanding holistic health and wellness and guided by the , new experiences have been added to the event, such as the Crowley Family MindSpa and Walters Pet Therapy Room.”

Pollack will provide opening remarks at 1 p.m., and Chancellor Kent Syverud will follow with a message to the Orange community. Here is the schedule of OrangeAbility activities:

• Adaptive Bikes (1:15 p.m.): Experience a virtual demonstration of available handcycles on campus.

• Climbing Wall (1:30 p.m.): Join��Julie DeLeo, Barnes Center at The Arch assistant director of outdoor education, to learn more about the climbing wall and adaptive equipment, and to experience a virtual demonstration.

On Sunday, March 28, OrangeAbility will host an in-person wall climbing experience. is available through the Barnes Center at The Arch Wellness Portal, and first-time portal users should visit the webpage for more information and instruction.

• Esports (1:45 p.m.): Attendees are invited to join Rob Snow,��Barnes Center at The Arch assistant director of esports, for an esports introduction and to learn more about adaptive equipment and experience a virtual demonstration.

From 2 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27, OrangeAbility will host an in-person Esports session. is required through the Barnes Center at The Arch .

• Walters Pet Therapy Room (2 p.m.): Vicente “Vinnie” Cuevas,��Barnes Center at The Arch Health Promotion coordinator, will discuss the Deborah A. Barnes Pet Therapy Program—and may have a special guest that you won’t want to miss!

• Crowley Family MindSpa (2:15 p.m.): Cuevas will explore the Crowley Family MindSpa and Virtual MindSpa and explain how both spaces are accessible to all.

To experience the or the , visit the��Barnes Center at The Arch .

• Closing Remarks (2:30 p.m.)

For more information or to register for OrangeAbility activities, visit the webpage. To request additional accommodations, please contact the .

Nyle DiMarco

���ϲ�����’s premier speaker series, the University Lectures bring to ���ϲ����� audience members and the larger public notable guest speakers of exceptional accomplishment who share their diverse global experiences and perspectives. The series was created through, and is supported by, the generosity of alumnus Robert B. Menschel ’51, H’91. Media sponsor for the University Lectures is .

The lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and be presented in an interview-style format. Following public health guidance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lecture will be virtual and viewable via Zoom webinar. Audience members will be able to submit questions for consideration as part of the experience, time permitting. Those attending should register in advance at to receive the Zoom link. Communication Access Real-Time Translation and American Sign Language interpretation will be available.

DiMarco will be interviewed by Kate Corbett Pollack, coordinator for SU’s Disability Cultural Center (DCC). The lecture is co-sponsored by the DCC and the Barnes Center at the Arch.

DiMarco is a deaf activist and ambassador for the deaf community. He won the mirror ball trophy on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” (Season 22) and was the last model standing on The CW’s “America’s Next Top Model” (Cycle 22).

Born into a multigenerational deaf family, he is an honorary spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) and founder of the Nyle DiMarco Foundation, which works to improve the lives of deaf people around the world. DiMarco produced the 2018 return to Broadway of “Children of a Lesser God” and was a creative collaborator on The ASL App, developed by native deaf signers to teach conversational American Sign Language.

With a passion for language, literacy and advocacy within the deaf community and beyond, DiMarco shares his barrier-breaking story as a deaf man who has risen above stereotypes to take the world by storm. Believing that his deafness is “an asset rather than a limitation,” he builds a bridge between the deaf and hearing by shining a light on not only the struggles, but also the triumphs of the deaf culture.

“Over the past 40 years, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, has compiled a list of over 1,400 reported murders of people with disabilities by relatives or caregivers,” shared Kate Corbett Pollack, coordinator of the Disability Cultural Center. “We encourage all to attend the 2021 Annual Disability Day of Mourning event to honor those lost, but also to learn more about increasing awareness.”

In addition to honoring victims, Pollack will share the history of DDoM and explore the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. A question and answer session will follow.

For additional information or to request accommodations, email Kate Corbett Pollack at kjpollac@syr.edu or call 315.443.0228.

The continues its 20th season this spring with four dynamic speakers: Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, on Tuesday, Feb. 16; Misty Copeland, principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, on Tuesday, Feb. 23; Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham, agent for arts and culture, on Wednesday, March 17; and Nyle DiMarco, deaf activist and winner of “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Next Top Model,” on Tuesday, March 23.

The University’s premier speaker series, the University Lectures brings to ���ϲ����� audience members and the larger public notable guest speakers of exceptional accomplishment who share their diverse global experiences and perspectives. The series was created through, and is supported by, the generosity of alumnus Robert B. Menschel ’51. Media sponsor for the University Lectures is .

All lectures will begin at 7:30 p.m. EST and (EDT after March 14) and be presented in an interview-style format. Following public health guidance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this spring’s lectures will continue to be all virtual and viewable via Zoom webinar. Audience members will be able to submit questions for consideration as part of the experience, time permitting. Those attending should register in advance at to receive the Zoom link. Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) will be available for each lecture.

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Tuesday, Feb. 16

Nguyen will be interviewed by Dana Spiotta, award-winning author and associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). The lecture is co-sponsored by A&S.

Nguyen and his family came to the United States as refugees from Vietnam in 1975. As he grew up, he observed that movies and books about the Vietnam War only focused on Americans. He turned his writing toward lifting the voices and perspectives of the Vietnamese.

His debut novel, “The Sympathizer,” won the Pulitzer Prize (2016), the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. The New York Times says that the novel “fills a void … giving voice to the previously voiceless while it compels the rest of us to look at the events of 40 years ago in a new light.” His follow-up novel, “The Committed,” is due to be published this year.

Nguyen is also the author of “Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War,” a finalist for the National Book Award, and “The Refugees,” a collection of short stories. In 2018, he joined with 17 fellow refugee writers to create “The Displaced,” with proceeds supporting the International Rescue Committee.

He is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. Nguyen teaches at the University of Southern California and works as a cultural critic-at-large at the Los Angeles Times.

Misty Copeland

Tuesday, Feb. 23

Copeland will be interviewed by Broadway and television actress Shanel Bailey ’19. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Advancement.

Copeland began her ballet studies at 13, and at 15 won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards. She studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) Summer Intensive on a full scholarship and was declared ABT’s National Coca-Cola Scholar in 2000. She joined the ABT’s Studio Company in September 2000 and the ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001.

In August 2007, Copeland became the company’s second African American soloist and the first in two decades. She was promoted to principal dancer in August 2015, making her the first African American woman to ever be promoted to the position in the company’s 75-year history. She made her Broadway debut in the role of “Ivy Smith/Miss Turnstiles” with the critically acclaimed show “On the Town.”

She has performed in a variety of classical and contemporary roles with ABT, including the title role in “Firebird,” Clara in “The Nutcracker,” Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake” and Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty.”

She holds a number of honors and endorsements, but has found her passion in giving back. She was named National Youth of the Year Ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2013, and was appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition by President Obama in 2014. She has been a Turnaround Arts Ambassador since 2016, representing the Gregory Jocko Jackson School in Brooklyn.

Copeland received an honorary degree from the University of Hartford in 2014 for her contributions to classical ballet and for helping to diversify the art form.

Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham

Wednesday, March 17

The lecture is co-sponsored by the Graduate Program in Museum Studies, School of Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts. Johnson-Cunningham will be interviewed by Andrew Saluti, assistant professor and coordinator of the Graduate Program in Museum Studies.

This lecture is also the keynote to “,” a two-day virtual symposium that aims to comprehensively address collections and deaccessioning in the context of the economic fallout of the pandemic and the national call to rethink the role and responsibilities of museums and their collections in an increasingly diverse and complex world. The symposium’s agenda reflects a broad set of perspectives and taps experts from across the art and museum world, from directors and trustees, to seasoned museum professionals, scholars, legal experts, artists, auction houses, journalists and influencers. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Graduate Program in Museum Studies and the College of Law.

Johnson-Cunningham is an agent for arts and culture who centers cultural equity as an essential part of achieving social justice. She co-founded and serves as director of Museum Hue, an organization supporting Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC). She built the first online directory and system to map BIPOC museums across the United States. She is currently working on a larger cultural mapping project specific to New York City with support from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

As a United Nations Human Rights fellow centering on arts and culture, Johnson-Cunningham applies the U.N.’s ratification of cultural rights to her work to call for greater recognition and representation in the arts ecosystem. She received the Americans for the Arts 2019 American Express Emerging Leader Award for her work.

She has also hosted and produced “On Display,” a show for WNET’s ALL ARTS Network that focuses on ways museums are readdressing societal issues that resulted from intersecting histories and connect to contemporary life. Each episode covers various topics including immigration, mass incarceration, transportation and preservation of Black cultural spaces.

Nyle DiMarco

Tuesday, March 23

DiMarco will be interviewed by Kate Corbett Pollack, coordinator for ���ϲ�����’s Disability Cultural Center (DCC). The lecture is co-sponsored by the DCC and the Barnes Center at The Arch. CART and American Sign Language interpretation will be available for this lecture.

DiMarco is a deaf activist and ambassador for the deaf community. He won the mirror ball trophy on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” (season 22) and was the last model standing on The CW’s “America’s Next Top Model” (cycle 22).

Born into a multigenerational deaf family, he is an honorary spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) and founder of the Nyle DiMarco Foundation, which works to improve the lives of deaf people around the world. DiMarco produced the 2018 return to Broadway of “Children of a Lesser God” and was a creative collaborator on The ASL App, created by native deaf signers to teach conversational American Sign Language.

With a passion for language, literacy and advocacy within the deaf community and beyond, DiMarco shares his barrier-breaking story as a deaf man who has risen above stereotypes to take the world by storm. Believing that his deafness is “an asset rather than a limitation,” he builds a bridge between the deaf and hearing by shining a light on not only the struggles, but also the triumphs of the deaf culture.

Please note, this image was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and does not reflect current public health guidelines.

The Orange community is invited to attend IceAbility on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. ET. Connecting to a variety of interests, IceAbility will showcase inclusive and adaptive activities available to the ���ϲ����� community such as curling, ice skating, sled hockey and esports.

The event is a collaborative effort between the and the . All activities are free and open to the ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) communities.

“This family-friendly, disability-accessible event hosts both in-person and virtually inclusive experiences. Events throughout the afternoon are free and will host opportunities to learn about adaptive, accessible ice and esports equipment; available to all attendees and those seeking experiences throughout the academic year,” says Kate Pollack, coordinator of the Disability Cultural Center.

To support health and wellness procedures, attendees are asked to RSVP for IceAbility. Individuals who RSVP will receive an exclusive pre-registration email invitation on Friday, Oct. 2, providing the opportunity to proactively secure their activities and timeslots. Those who do not RSVP may register for events on the Wellness Portal under “Special Events” starting six hours prior to each event on Saturday, Oct. 3. If this is your first time using the Wellness Portal, please visit the for additional information and instruction.

“The Barnes Center at The Arch is committed to providing recreational opportunities for all members of our campus community,” says Aaron Landers, programming coordinator of the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion. “The goal of IceAbility is to showcase activities that everyone can participate in and to create spaces that promote inclusion, diversity, health and wellness.”

IceAbility Fall 2020 Events��
All are invited to throughout the day at the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion and the Barnes Center at The Arch. RSVPs are encouraged as space is limited. Registration and masks are required for all in-person events.

Ice Sports hosted at Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion include traditional and adaptive curling, skating and sled hockey. Explore the to help plan your visit. Hosted at the Barnes Center at The Arch, esports activity highlights will include a variety of games and the opportunity to explore adaptive computer and gaming console technology. No experience is necessary as coaches and staff will be available throughout the day to provide guidance and instruction.

The Orange community is invited to join Jenna Fink ’21, virtually throughout the afternoon as she shares demonstrations, interviews, and more. Featured guests include Colin Gooley G ’17, a native of Baldwinsville and member of the national U.S. Sled Hockey team. Gooley will provide on-ice instruction and participate in a live virtual Question and Answer session. Explore event details on the .

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact Aaron Landers by emailing atlander@syr.edu or calling 315.443.4273.

Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Alana Boyd G ’21.

“This month is important because it’s a chance for students to experience different ways of thinking about disability. Here at the DCC, we recognize disability as a form of diversity, identity and as a source of pride,” says DCC Director Elizabeth Taets Von Amerongen. “We define disability broadly to include our friends, family and members of our community with mental health, learning and substance abuse disabilities, making us an enormously diverse community.”

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, starting at 7:30 p.m., the campus community is invited to attend hosted by the Student Association and DCC panel representatives. Another highlight of the month includes the free performance of , on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 10 p.m. in Grant Auditorium. During this Orange After Dark and DCC co-sponsored event, Lynch weaves his disability into his stand-up act.

Wednesday, Oct. 23, marks Disability Mentoring Day on campus. As a host site for mentees, this nationwide event provides career support and development to students with disabilities. Additional activities include joining the , hosted by the Barnes Center at The Arch as part of Domestic and Dating Violence Awareness Month. Through participating, the DCC hopes to bring awareness to disabled victims of domestic abuse, some of whom may not have the resources to advocate for themselves.

Opportunities for involvement extend beyond the month’s programming and include joining many of the great on campus. Additionally, the DCC hosts the opportunity for two undergraduate students to join the team as peer mentors within the Access Mentoring Program; the application and additional details are available in , ���ϲ�����’s career management platform. Students may access Handshake using their NetID and password to find jobs, internships, and career development events and to connect with employers.

For more information on Disability Awareness and Appreciation Month, contact Taets Von Amerongen at sudcc@syr.edu or visit the . For more information on the Disability Cultural Center, contact the DCC team at sudcc@syr.edu or call 315.443.0228.

Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Carina Coestad ’22.

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.

Sierra started in her role on April 8. As director of the Disability Cultural Center, Sierra works with campus community members to coordinate educational, cultural and social activities focused on disability.

For more information, visit the .

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.

Elizabeth Sierra

Sierra is currently a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor at Sunshine Coast Health Centre in Canada. She brings extensive experience as a counselor, professor and student advisor throughout her career. In addition to her teaching experience at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, the State of Texas community college system and Binghamton University, Sierra served as director of student support services at SUNY Farmingdale and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her teaching, scholarship and practice have centered on empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable populations no matter her role.

“Elizabeth is not only a passionate advocate and scholar focused on inclusivity and social justice, she brings an incredible breadth of experience across higher education and working with students. We are thrilled to welcome her back to ���ϲ����� to lead the Disability Cultural Center,” says Colleen Bench, associate vice president in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience.

During her time as a graduate student at ���ϲ�����, Sierra was a counselor and personal coach with the SummerStart and SUccess Initiative Learning Communities, a counselor intern at Nottingham High School and a counselor intern at Onondaga Community College’s Educational Opportunity Program and Collegiate Science, Technology and Engineering Program. She also served as an instructor in the Department of Child and Family Studies in the Falk College. She has��written chapters on inclusive pedagogies and disability studies in peer-reviewed texts for ���ϲ����� Press and Palgrave Macmillan.

“My experience in the classroom, therapy room and in higher education administration since I graduated from ���ϲ����� has shown me that just as good therapy is educational, good education is therapeutic,” Sierra says. I am excited to collaborate with students, faculty, staff and the greater ���ϲ����� community as we work to educate whole learners and be part of a community that includes, respects and celebrates the cultural backgrounds and experiences of all students.”

Sierra earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Midwestern State University in Texas,��a master’s degree in counseling at ���ϲ����� and a Ph.D. in philosophy, interpretation and culture at Binghamton University.

She is a national certified counselor, a master practitioner of clinical counseling, a registered professional counsellor with the Canadian Professional Counselling Association and a licensed professional counselor.

Scarlet Saltee is an Archie Comics character.

The sixth “Cripping” the Comic Con symposium is Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Schine Student Center. The event welcomes all community members to a day centered on this year’s theme, “And Justice for All…?,” focusing on disability justice, freedom of expression and comics culture in today’s world. Participants can register now using the “Cripping” the Comic Con�� Registration is also available on site.

“‘Cripping’ the Comic Con is a disability-accessible convention, which welcomes people from every identity to come be themselves and have a good time while immersing themselves in disability-themed comics, art, workshops and presentations,” says Kate Corbett Pollack, coordinator in the Disability Cultural Center.

The symposium’s preliminary features a plenary session, seven creative workshops, complimentary breakfast and dinner buffets, a gaming room, a quiet (“low stim”) room, an accessible photo booth, autograph stations, vendors and exhibitors.

This year’s plenary panel will be moderated by Diane R. Wiener, research professor, associate director of the Burton Blatt Institute’s Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach, and co-creator of “Cripping” the Comic Con. The panel features seven leaders, both seasoned and emergent, in the disability and comics world:

• Nancy Silberkleit (co-CEO of Archie Comics) and Jason Harris: Silberkleit and Harris, who is autistic, will discuss a new autistic character in the Archie Comics world, Scarlet Saltee. Scarlet first appeared in Kindness Works (written by Ray Felix and penciled by Fernando Ruiz).
• Leroy F. Moore Jr. and Keith Jones: The Krip-Hop Nation founders will be discussing black disability advocacy and the arts, as well as Moore’s newly debuted graphic novel.
• Georgia Webber: Webber is the author and illustrator of “Dumb” (a term she likewise critiques), a critically acclaimed graphic memoir about vocal disability.
• Jason Pittman: Pittman will discuss his book “The War for Kaleb,” which addresses anxiety and emotional variance.
• Lucy Wales: A recent graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Wales will discuss her work in medical illustration, comics and disability justice.

The first 250 participants will receive swag bags with complimentary panelists’ artwork that can be autographed on site.

Another highlight of this year’s event is the return of Gilles Stromberg ’12, co-creator and illustrator of the . Participants can join Stromberg in a “Create Your Own Access Avenger” workshop. The Access Avengers is a team of multicultural, multi-gendered and multi-ethnic superheroes with disabilities who aim to disrupt problematic representations that are so common in mainstream comics and popular culture.

“Each time the ‘CripCon’ happens, it has its own unique life and culture. However, there is a meaningful thread through all of the symposia hosted over the years,” says Wiener. “In creating and hosting ‘Cripping’ the Comic Con, we are very committed to underscoring the importance of intersecting identities.”

Reclamation of the word “Crip” is also a key component of the event. The “CripCon” was held annually from 2013 to 2017—it is now biannual—and was co-created by Wiener to bring disability culture to the forefront. Wiener explains that while reclaiming language can at times be “a mixed bag,” the “CripCon” uses “Crip” in an empowering way. For more information, see the .

“CripCon19” is co-hosted by the Disability Cultural Center and the Burton Blatt Institute’s Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach, with support from the Disability Student Union, the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, the Center on Human Policy and the Office of Disability Services.

The event is free and open to the public, and includes complimentary parking in the University Avenue Garage on a first-come, first-served basis.��A livestream will also be available (details to follow).

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided for the entire symposium. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided during the plenary session. The deadline for sharing dietary preferences and for requesting other accommodations is March 29 via the . For questions regarding parking, contact Dee Bailey at debailey@syr.edu or 315.443.5319.

For more information, visit the . To volunteer, complete the . Refer to the for locations.

This article was written by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Nadia Suleman ’19.

In preparation for the renovation, teams from the divisions of Enrollment and the Student Experience and Business, Finance and Administrative Services have worked diligently to coordinate office relocations and expand services currently within Schine Student Center.

Here is where you can find offices and services once the planned renovation begins:

• The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Disability Cultural Center will relocate to 548 Bird Library. They join the LGBT Resource Center, which moved to this accessible, central location this spring.
• The Office of Student Activities and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs will relocate to Suite 100 in the Women’s Building.
• The Office of Parent and Family Services will reloate to 306 Steele Hall.
• Schine Box Office will relocate to Suite 118/119 in the Women’s Building.
• Learning Communities and Student Centers and Programming Services will relocate to Suite 138 in the Women’s Building.
• Career Services will relocate to Suite 214 in the Women’s Building.
• The Shaw Center for Public and Community Service and the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs will relocate to Suite 309/310 in the Women’s Building.
• will enhance staffing and add popular menu items at nearby Pages Café and food.com. Come fall, Kimmel Food Court will open earlier to accommodate breakfast and lunch. All Schine Food Services staff will be reassigned to other locations on campus.
• Reservable meeting rooms and event spaces will be available in Bird Library, Skybarn, Goldstein Student Center (South Campus), and other campus locations.

The ���ϲ����� Bookstore and Goldstein Auditorium will remain open throughout the renovation. Accessible entrances��will be located from��the Einhorn Family Walk and from the East entry between Goldstein Auditorium and the Bookstore. The Einhorn Family Walk entry will serve the Bookstore and the East entry between Goldstein Auditorium and the Bookstore will serve Goldstein Auditorium. This accessible path starts at Waverly Avenue.

Updates with additional information about relocations and services will follow throughout the remainder of the semester.

According to ASAN, people with disabilities are twice as likely as non-disabled people to be victims of violent crime. Every year, the national media covers dozens of murders of people with disabilities by family members or caregivers, and many more go unnoticed.

“We hold the Day of Mourning vigils to draw attention to these injustices, to commemorate the lives of victims and demand justice and equal protection under the law for all people with disabilities,” says Priya Penner ’20, president of DSU and student in the and the . “We will not forget those we have lost and will remind the world that these disabled lives had value.”

ASAN started the national vigil initiative in 2012 after the murder of George Hodgins, a 22-year-old man with autism, by his mother. The University has participated in the vigil every year since.

Students, faculty, staff and community members—with or without a disability—are encouraged to attend. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) will be provided.

Light refreshments will be provided with vegetarian and gluten-free options available. Participants are not required to stay for the vigil’s entirety and are encouraged to use #DDoM2019 while posting on social media. Please refrain from wearing cologne or perfume as it may overwhelm some attendees.

For further accommodations or more information, please contact Penner at ppenner@syr.edu.

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 dialogue, on “Can Anyone Be Born a Crime?” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel. The two-hour gathering will include a shared meal (begins at 5:30 p.m.), facilitated dialogue and two times of mindful meditation (at the beginning and the end). The dialogue will be co-facilitated by chaplains, staff and students.

The Interfaith Dialogue Dinner Series is free and open to the public. No R.S.V.P. is necessary. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and inclusive food will be provided. Requests for accommodations or food queries should be made in advance by contacting chapel@syr.edu.

The discussion will explore Noah’s book through the lenses of religion and spirituality, identity and belonging, and connections between South Africa and the United States. Noah will be the keynote speaker for the University’s annual which will be held on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

“The Interfaith Dinner Dialogue Series is intended to be a direct expression of ���ϲ�����’s commitment to fostering and supporting an inclusive, accessible campus community of opportunity for a richly diverse student body. To host a discussion of Trevor Noah’s book just days before he visits our campus is quite exciting, and the entire 2019 Spring Series will provide meaningful and memorable learning for all participants,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “Once again, we will be shown how an education informed by multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures, abilities and belief systems is essential to academic excellence.”

The “Common and Diverse Ground” series is co-sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach in the Burton Blatt Institute and the Disability Cultural Center, and for several years has brought members of the campus community together in an inclusive environment to explore challenging contemporary issues.

“It remains a privilege to collaborate with Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz and my colleagues in Hendricks Chapel, the Disability Cultural Center and elsewhere on campus to continue this ongoing series, aiming to create spaces wherein students, faculty, staff, chaplains and members of the local community can come together and interact deeply about timely and sometimes tough subjects,” says Diane Wiener, research professor and associate director of interdisciplinary programs and outreach in the Burton Blatt Institute.

“Sharing meals that include Kosher, Halal, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and other options; assuring that American Sign Language interpretation is provided, as a matter of course; and mindfulness meditation regularly happening, to center ourselves, prior to and after each dialogue, are all recognizable facets of the series,” Wiener says. “Two of my favorite aspects are bearing witness—and not just visually—to the spontaneous coalescing of brave energies, sometimes in a room of strangers, who may leave with new friends, and experiencing the powerful, expert leadership of students as co-facilitators working closely with chaplains, faculty and staff.”

The other dinner dialogues this semester are:

• Thursday, Feb. 28—“On Disability, Forgiveness, Animals and Faith”
• Thursday, March 28—“Interfaith Responses to Sexual and Relationship Violence”

For more information on the event, contact Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or chapel@syr.edu.

Huey Hsiao

Huey Hsiao, associate director in the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), has been appointed the interim director of the Disability Cultural Center (DCC), effective Jan. 1, 2019. Hsiao’s interim role comes on the heels of Director Diane Wiener’s appointment as research professor and associate director of the Burton Blatt Institute’s new Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach.

Hsiao brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education in roles spanning diversity and inclusion, student success, international education, advising, enrollment and recruiting. Throughout his career, Hsiao has been an advocate for inclusion and equity. He has worked with partners across the University and broader community, including the DCC, LGBT Resource Center, Slutzker Center for International Services, student organizations and ESF’s Student Diversity and Inclusion Office, to host programs centered on identity, privilege, intersectionality and cultural awareness.

Joining OMA in January 2012, Hsiao leads and directs mentoring programs, including the nationally recognized WellsLink Leadership Program, and coordinates the University’s annual celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Hsiao also serves on the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence and the Chancellor’s Ad Hoc Committee on DACA/Undocumented Students.

The national search process has commenced for a permanent director.

The theme is “Facts, Faith and Politics,” and the conversation will be facilitated by Professor Dana Cloud and student Ryan Patel. As always, a variety of inclusive foods will be served and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available.

Savarese teaches American literature, creative writing, medical humanities and disability studies at Grinnell College in Iowa.

���ϲ����� alumnus Jamie Burke ’13 will be joining Savarese to discuss his participation in the book project, which paired Autistic readers with Savarese.

Since the 1940s, researchers have been repeating claims about Autistic people’s limited ability to understand language, to partake in imaginative play and to generate the complex theory of mind necessary to appreciate literature. In “See It Feelingly,” Savarese, whose son is one of the first nonspeaking autistics to graduate from college, challenges this view. Discussing fictional works over a period of years with readers from across the autism spectrum, Savarese was stunned by the readers’ ability to expand his understanding of texts he knew intimately. Their startling insights emerged not only from the way their different bodies and brains lined up with a story but also from their experiences of stigma and exclusion.

Ralph Savarese

Savarese is also the author of “Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption” (Other Press 2007), which Newsweek called a “real life love story and an urgent manifesto for the rights of people with neurological disabilities.”

He has appeared in three documentaries about autism: “Loving Lampposts, Living Autistic”; “Finding Amanda”; and “Deej.” The third follows his adoptive son, D.J., from eighth grade through his first year at Oberlin College, where he was the institution’s first nonspeaking student with autism. The film’s many honors include a Peabody Award and “Best of Festival” at Superfest, the international disability film festival.

Savarese is recipient of numerous honors, including the Irene Glascock National Undergraduate Poetry Competition; the Hennig Cohen Prize from the Herman Melville Society for an “outstanding contribution to Melville scholarship”; an Independent Publisher’s Gold Medal for “Reasonable People” in the category of health/medicine/nutrition; a Mellon Foundation “Humanities Writ Large” fellowship supporting a yearlong residency at Duke University’s Institute for Brain Sciences; two “notable essay” distinctions in the Best American Essay series; two Pushcart Prize nominations; and a National Endowment for the Humanities summer fellowship.

For the Nov. 15 reading, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided during the presentation. For other accommodation requests, contact kapark01@syr.edu. Parking is available for a fee in the University Area Garage. A campus parking map is available online at

The event is sponsored by the Burton Blatt Institute, the SU Disability Cultural Center, the Disability Studies Program, ���ϲ����� Libraries and the Disability Law & Policy Program.

A reception with inclusive food, with popcorn, will be part of the event. The gathering and discussion are co-sponsored by the DCC and the Disability Student Union (DSU). American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.

Check out the “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette” trailer at . “Nanette” will start at approximately 3, with a brief discussion starting at about 4:30.

Questions? Contact the DCC at sudcc@syr.edu or 315.443.4486. Bring your friends. All are welcome.

This student-led initiative is sponsored by the (DSU), , , , and . While OrangeAbility has typically been held in the spring, it will be hosted in the fall this year to take advantage of the nice weather—marking the eighth time the event has been hosted on campus, twice in 2018.

OrangeAbility provides disabled and nondisabled people of all ages with the opportunity to play and learn about an array of inclusive and adaptive sports. This year, OrangeAbility will feature tennis, sled hockey and cycles. Attendees will also engage with local teams on the court, as well as organizations in the area. The event centers the experiences and skills of disabled athletes and sports fans, while highlighting that accessible sports are about tailoring approaches to a wide variety of players, including nondisabled participants.

The afternoon of activities will celebrate disability cultures and identities and provide a space for all to feel welcome and comfortable. It is an event that highlights the legacy and growing vibrancy of the disability community on and off the hill. Occurring in October this year, highly anticipated events during Disability Awareness and Appreciation Month.

“OrangeAbility is always such an exciting event because it brings together the community, while also making space for disabled people on this campus,” says Priya Penner ’20, president of DSU.

The event is free and open to the community. Friends, family, kids and colleagues are all welcome. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.

Free parking is available outside the Women’s Building across Mt. Olympus Drive. Volunteers will be directing attendees along the way.

Register online on the or day-of at the expo to play with a team, volunteer, table with groups or request specific information. For more information, to ask questions or to request additional accommodations, please visit the or email orangeability@gmail.com.

“We are very pleased and honored to welcome everyone in the campus community and our friends in the City of ���ϲ����� to participate in this wide array of programs and initiatives in celebration of Disability Awareness and Appreciation Month 2018,”��says Diane R. Wiener, director of the DCC. “Disabled people are vibrant contributors to and enhance the world. We can be proud of our accomplishments within and dedication to the sciences, the arts and the humanities, and our ongoing commitments to equity, writ large.”

In addition to the list of events, throughout October the ���ϲ����� Libraries will host a multi-formatted exhibition on disability cultures, pride and identities, co-hosted with the DCC, the Disability Student Union (DSU) and the Disability Studies Program. The exhibition run from the first week of October to Oct. 31 in E.S. Bird Library.

The full calendar of events includes:

Service Animals: From Common Myths to Future Policy
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2 to 3 p.m. – 204 Maxwell Hall
E.M.P.A. candidate and U.S. Air Force veteran Adam LeGrand will outline the perceptions of service animals in the United States, laws concerning public access and where policy is headed. Food will be provided at the start of the event. R.S.V.P. to the Executive Education Student email address: ExecEdStudents@maxwell.syr.edu. Those with requests regarding accessibility or accommodations may contact the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS) office at��ada@syr.edu��or 315.443.4018. The event is sponsored by Maxwell Peer to Peer.

All In: Solidarity Takes Disability Justice
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 7 to 9 p.m. – Watson Theater and Light Work
Celebrating disability rights activists Lydia X.Z. Brown and Shain M. Neumeier’s impactful, scholarly-activist work, the event will highlight the intersections of disability, race, gender, sexual orientation, and global and local identities, among other timely subjects.

Brown and Neumeier will give a presentation from 7 to 8 p.m. in Watson Theater, followed by a reception and book signing of “All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism,” of which Brown is the lead editor, from 8 to 9 p.m. in the Light Work lobby. Inclusive refreshments will be served. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided during the presentation and reception/book signing, and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) will be provided during the presentation.

Parking is available in the Marion lot; those who need accessible parking may use the Q5 lot. Questions pertaining to parking may be addressed to Dee Bailey at mdebailey@syr.edu. A campus parking map is available online at . For other accommodation requests or questions, contact sudcc@syr.edu.

This event is sponsored by the DCC, with co-sponsorship by the Center on Human Policy; Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach, the Burton Blatt Institute; and the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, with support from a host of academic and administrative departments and student organizations. The event is held in celebration of Disability Awareness and Appreciation Month, LGBTQ History Month and Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, and held in concert with Mental Health Awareness Week.

Poetry Reading with Diane R. Wiener and Kristofor P. Minta
Friday, Oct. 5, noon to 1 p.m. – Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (114 Bird Library)
A brown bag poetry reading with DCC Director Diane R. Wiener and Office of Disability Services’ Coordinator Kristofor P. Minta. ASL interpretation and CART will be provided. Wiener will be reading from her debut poetry collection, “The Golem Verses” (Nine Mile Press, 2018). The event is hosted by the ���ϲ����� Libraries.

OrangeAbility
Sunday, Oct. 7, 1 to 5 p.m. – Women’s Building
OrangeAbility, ���ϲ�����’s accessible sports expo, returns. Join the DSU, the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, the DCC, MoveAlong Inc. and Recreation Services in engaging with local teams on the court, as well as organizations in the expo area. The event is open to all, adults and children. ASL interpretation will be provided.

Disability Employment Awareness Month and Coming Out Month Presentations
Tuesday, Oct. 9 – Crouse Hospital
DCC Director Diane R. Wiener will present at Crouse Hospital in acknowledgment of Disability Employment Awareness Month and Coming Out Month. Wiener will share two presentations and read poems from “The Golem Verses.” ASL interpretation will be provided. For details and accommodations inquiries, e-mail TwiggyEure@crouse.org.

A Conversation with Georgia Webber
Tuesday, Oct. 9, 5 to 6 p.m. – Shemin Auditorium, Shaffer Art Building
Webber is the creator of the graphic memoir . The memoir addresses Webber’s narrative on losing her voice due to a medical condition and the social and cultural discourses surrounding the experience. The event will be moderated by Kate Deibel, ���ϲ����� Libraries inclusion and accessibility librarian. ASL interpretation and CART will be provided. The event is sponsored by the ���ϲ����� Libraries, the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the DCC.

State of the Art Conference on Postsecondary Education and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Wednesday, Oct. 10, and Thursday, Oct. 11 – Sheraton ���ϲ����� Hotel and Conference Center
The conference will provide opportunities for colleges and universities, researchers, program staff, parents and self-advocates to learn about the current state of research and practice in the field, and to network with each other. For more information, visit

Disabled and Proud: Leading Change
Thursday, Oct. 11, through Saturday, Oct. 13 – Online
An online conference for students with disabilities by students with disabilities, Disabled and Proud focuses on access, inclusion and changing campus climates for people with disabilities/disabled people. The conference is open and free to the University community. DSU President Priya Penner, DCC Coordinator Kate Pollack and DCC Director Diane R. Wiener will all present at the conference. The Disability Cultural Center has reserved online access for all campus constituents; use the e-mail dwiener@syr.edu and password CRIP@66. For instructions on accessing the conference, visit .

Poetry Reading with Doug Anderson and Preston Hood
Friday, Oct. 12, 3 to 4 p.m., 303 Schine Student Center
Poets Doug Anderson and Preston Hood will read their poetry. This event will include a focus on the experience of disabled veterans. ASL interpretation and CART will be provided. Co-hosted by the DCC; Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach, The Burton Blatt Institute; and the Student Veterans Organization.

“Intelligent Lives” Screening
Sunday, Oct. 14, 3 to 4 p.m. – Shemin Auditorium, Shaffer Art Building
The film “Intelligent Lives” will be screened as part of Imaging Disability showcase. The film is captioned; ASL interpretation and CART will be provided for the introduction and discussion.

Disability Mentoring Day
Wednesday, Oct. 17
���ϲ����� is participating in in many ways, serving as a host site for numerous mentees. Disability Mentoring Day is a nationwide effort to promote career development for students with disabilities through hands-on career exploration.

DCC Annual Open House
Friday, Oct. 19, 1 to 5 p.m. – 230 Schine Student Center
The DCC will host its annual Open House, which will conclude with a gathering to watch and discuss “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette,” which is captioned. A reception with inclusive food, with popcorn, will be part of the event. The gathering and discussion are co-sponsored by the DCC and the DSU. ASL interpretation will be provided. Check out “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette” trailer at .

Disability and Inclusion in Ghana: The Kekeli Foundation
Tuesday, Oct. 23, Time and location TBD
Carrie Brown will share information about the Kekeli Foundation and the work it does. For more information, contact Rachel Zubal-Ruggieri at razubal@syr.edu.

For more information about Disability Awareness and Appreciation Month, email the DCC at sudcc@syr.edu.

The event is sponsored and organized by the Disability Cultural Center; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; the SUNY-ESF Student Diversity and Inclusion Office; La Casita Cultural Center; the Office of Engagement Programs; and the Slutzker Center for International Services.

The fair welcomes new and returning students, faculty and staff from the ���ϲ����� and SUNY-ESF communities each year. During the fair, the campus community will have the opportunity to meet the staff and students working in the cultural centers and learn about the offices’ services and programs. Attendees can also connect with the cultural organizations, departments and offices tabling.

A slide show and videos will be shown at the event highlighting robust programs and student involvement in these offices. Image descriptions of the slides are available on the event’s .

The event will also feature performances by the Black Reign Step Team, among others.

“This is a great time for students to meet and become involved with organizations where they can celebrate their identity and learn about new cultures,” says Disability Cultural Center Coordinator Kate Pollack. “The aim of the event is to be inclusive to all people and to celebrate the many different cultural identities on campus.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided, as well as gluten-free, kosher, Halal and vegetarian/vegan food options. A sensory break room will also be available.

Disability Caucus
7-8 p.m.

The caucus is a space for self-identifying disabled people to privately caucus. Penner and Lucas will begin the conversation. This space will be an opportunity to “reflect on how we are processing and moving forward in the wake of recent abhorrent behavior and language used by certain, but not all, members of Theta Tau and the videos exposed and shared publicly, subsequently,” says Wiener.

Disabled campus community members and allies are welcome to the caucus. However, allies are invited to the space to be observers and listeners or access information otherwise.

Campus Conversation about Disability Justice
8-9 p.m.

All are welcome to engage in a campus conversation about disability justice following the disability caucus. Penner and Lucas, with support from Possenti-Perez and Wiener, will lead the campus conversation with an intersectional lens, underscoring what is meant by “ableism.”�� During the campus conversation, all are welcome to engage, including allies or otherwise-identifying individuals.

The spirit of the conversation is in reference to Wiener’s recent address and will pay particular attention to the collective’s 10 Principles of Disability Justice, which are:

1. INTERSECTIONALITY

“We do not live single issue lives”—Audre Lorde

Ableism, coupled with white supremacy, supported by capitalism, underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world “invalid.”

2. LEADERSHIP OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED

“We are led by those who most know these systems.”—Aurora Levins Morales

3. ANTI-CAPITALIST POLITIC

In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit, we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds.

4. COMMITMENT TO CROSS-MOVEMENT ORGANIZING

Shifting how social justice movements understand disability and contextualize ableism, disability justice lends itself to politics of alliance.

5. RECOGNIZING WHOLENESS

People have inherent worth outside of commodity relations and capitalist notions of productivity. Each person is full of history and life experience.

6. SUSTAINABILITY

We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long term. Our embodied experiences guide us toward ongoing justice and liberation.

7. COMMITMENT TO CROSS-DISABILITY SOLIDARITY

We honor the insights and participation of all of our community members, knowing that isolation undermines collective liberation.

8. INTERDEPENDENCE

We meet each other’s needs as we build toward liberation, knowing that state solutions inevitably extend into further control over lives.

9. COLLECTIVE ACCESS

As brown, black and queer-bodied disabled people we bring flexibility and creative nuance that go beyond able-bodied/minded normativity, to be in community with each other.

10. COLLECTIVE LIBERATION

No body or mind can be left behind—only moving together can we accomplish the revolution we require.only moving together can we accomplish the revolution we require.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART–live captioning) will be provided for both the disability caucus and the campus conversation.

For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS) office at 315.443.4018 or email ada@syr.edu.

For other questions about the event, please contact the Disability Cultural Center at 315.443.4486 or email sudcc@syr.edu, or the Office of Disability Services at 315.443.4498 or email .

On Tuesday, April 10, from 5-6:30 p.m. in 228A Schine, a panel of�� SU students will have a discussion moderated by Professor Christine Ashby, director of the Institute for Communication and Inclusion (ICI). The panel features five members of On The Spectrum (OTS), an organization designed by and for autistic SU community members.

The five panelists are Chris Damon-Cronmiller, Amery Sanders, Elly Wong, Cayla Jefferson and Justin Robbins:

• Damon-Cronmiller is a graduate student in the ; he is also the co-founder and co-president of OTS.

• Sanders is a graduate student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a co-facilitator of the Embody group for transgender and gender-diverse students.

• Wong ’19 is a student in the , a Coronat Scholar and the features editor for the OutCrowd.

• Jefferson is an InclusiveU student, focusing in art.

• Robbins is a graduate student in the biology department and the co-founder and co-president of OTS.

The panel discussion will provide a space for the panelists to briefly share stories of their experiences. After the panel, the room will open up for questions and answers.

“I hope this event gives people a chance to think about autism from a perspective they hadn’t considered before and question what they thought they knew about it,” says Robbins. “Autism is thought of, in many ways, as the ultimate ‘other.’ To have an event not only highlighting actual autistic voices, but that those voices are from our own community, is as important as it is powerful.”

The event is co-sponsored by the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee (BCCC), the Disability Student Union (DSU), the Disability Cultural Center (DCC) and the Disability Law Society (DLS).

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. Additional accommodations requests can be sent to Damon-Cronmiller at cdamoncr@syr.edu or Robbins at justin1776@gmail.com, as soon as possible.

Talila Lewis

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by lunch from noon-1 p.m.

This event is supported by the Center on Human Policy, the Disability Law Society and the Disability Cultural Center. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation will be provided. For more information, please contact Alan Foley at afoley@syr.edu.

People with disabilities represent over half of all people killed by law enforcement and are the largest minority population in jails and prisons, point out the organizers of the event. Yet advocates rarely view the crisis of mass incarceration through a disability justice lens or approach decarceration advocacy with an intersectional framework. This presentation will explore the historical and present nexus between race, class, disability and structural inequities within the criminal legal system and those systems that feed the United States carceral system. Attendees will learn practical strategies for advocacy in education, legal and prison settings that foreground longstanding federal disability rights laws and that center disability justice principles. Lewis will examine and critique current trends in advocacy and offer innovative and intersectional alternatives that have the potential to stem the tide of mass incarceration for all people.

“The work Talila Lewis is doing is so important and crosses many intersections of the human experience,” says Bruce Sexton, president of the Disability Law Society. “You will be in for a treat if you are able to make the lecture.”

Lewis was recognized as a White House Champion of Change and one of Pacific Standard Magazine’s Top 30 Thinkers Under 30. She engineers social justice campaigns that illuminate the nexus between race, class, disability and structural inequity. Lewis co-founded and serves as the volunteer director of Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of Deaf communities (HEARD), a volunteer-dependent nonprofit organization that created and maintains the only national database of deaf imprisoned people.

Lewis also serves as a consultant on radical education and workplace inclusion; serves as an expert on cases involving disabled people; and previously served as the Givelber Public Interest Lecturer at Northeastern University School of Law and a visiting professor at Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf. She is a founding member of the Harriet Tubman Collective and co-creator of the Disability Solidarity praxis and practice. A recent graduate of American University Washington College of Law, Lewis has received awards from numerous universities, the American Bar Association, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the American Association for People with Disabilities and the Nation Institute, among others.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���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 .

All members of the ���ϲ����� community and beyond are invited to the seventh OrangeAbility on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 2-4 p.m. in the Women’s Building Gym A. This student-led initiative is sponsored by the (DSU), the (BCCC), the (DCC), and community organization .

OrangeAbility provides disabled and nondisabled people of all ages with the opportunity to play and learn about an array of sports. The event centers the experiences and skills of disabled athletes and sports fans, while highlighting that accessible sports are about tailoring approaches to a wide variety of players, including nondisabled participants. The afternoon activities will celebrate a variety of disability cultures and identities, providing a space for all to feel welcome and comfortable. It is an event that highlights the legacy and growing vibrancy of the disability community on and off the hill.

“My favorite part about OrangeAbility is the energy that the event has. I’ve been to several events of this nature, and I don’t believe that any of them truly capture the energy and fun and camaraderie that OrangeAbility has. It is a one-of-a-kind event,” says Priya Penner ’20, a student in the and and president of DSU.

OrangeAbility 2018 will offer attendees the fun, inclusive energy that participants have enjoyed in the past. Attendees can participate in accessible, adaptive and inclusive sports, including wheelchair basketball, power soccer, wheelchair rugby and more. Local community-based organizations and SU groups will be at the event to visit with attendees.

This year’s event will feature the WNY Wreckers, a wheelchair rugby team based in Rochester; CNY United, a power chair soccer team based in ���ϲ�����; and the ���ϲ����� Flyers, a wheelchair basketball team based in ���ϲ�����. ��At the beginning of the event, each team will briefly present on the sport and athletes.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. Free parking is available outside the Women’s Building across Mt. Olympus Drive. Volunteers will be directing attendees along the way.

Register online on the ��or day-of at the expo to play with a team, volunteer, table with groups or request specific information. For more information, to ask questions or to request additional accommodations, please visit the����or email orangeability@gmail.com.

About ���ϲ�����

Founded��in 1870, ���ϲ����� is a private international research university��dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching��excellence,��rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11��academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence��in the liberal arts, sciences and��professional disciplines that prepares��students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly��changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main��campus and��extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three��continents. ���ϲ�����’s student body is among the most diverse for an��institution of its��kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent��all 50 states and more than 100 countries. ���ϲ����� also has a long legacy of��supporting veterans and is home to��the nationally recognized Institute for��Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the��U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their��families.

The reading features four poets, all of whom are also members of the ���ϲ����� community. They are:��Steve Kuusisto, University Professor in Cultural Foundations of Education in the School of Education and a faculty member in the Renée Crown University Honors Program;��Kristofor P. Minta, coordinator in the Office of Disability Services;��Iris C. Permuy, graduate intern in the DCC; and Diane R. Wiener, director of the DCC.

The poetry reading also marks a celebration of Permuy’s graduate internship with the DCC, as she concludes her semester conducting predoctoral research. Permuy is a doctoral candidate from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona studying translation and intercultural studies.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided during the reading and inclusive snacks will be served. For questions, contact the DCC at 315.443.4486 or sudcc@syr.edu.

The two-hour gathering will include a shared meal, facilitated dialogue and two times of mindful meditation (at the beginning and the end). The dialogues each semester are co-facilitated by chaplains, staff and students.

“We are very humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to create, with everyone in our campus community who participates, the conversational spaces and brave energies that emerge during these dialogue dinners,” says Diane Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center, who, with Buddhist Chaplain, Bonnie Shoultz, co-coordinates the series. “With the involvement and interest of ‘regulars’ as well as newcomers, the discussions are vibrant and, we believe, life affirming, especially to students and others who are facing difficult questions in our society’s challenging and sometimes deeply troubling times.”

This series is co-sponsored by the Disability Cultural Center and Hendricks Chapel, and is made possible through the Co-Curricular Departmental Initiatives program within the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and inclusive food will be provided. Requests for accommodations or food queries should be made at least seven days in advance by contacting sudcc@syr.edu.

The series will continue on Thursday, Dec. 7, with “Is All News Fake? The Future of Truth,” from 7-9 p.m., also in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel.

Daniel Simpson and Ona Gritz

Poets Ona Gritz and Daniel Simpson will share verses from their book, “,” at a reading Tuesday, Oct. 24, in celebration of Disability Awareness Month.

The event, part of Disabilities as Ways of Knowing: A Series of Creative Writing Conversations, will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Watson Theater, with a reception and book signing from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Organizers Steve Kuusisto, University Professor in the , and Diane R. Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center, say Gritz and Simpson, who are married, offer insights through their poetry that explore the theme of the series.

“One of the things Diane and I have been asking over the last few years is, essentially, ‘how is disability a way of knowing?’ Dan Simpson and Ona Gritz write poems that ask this same question. And like all good poets they find unexpected answers,” Kuusisto says. “A good poem always leads the writer to a new place, or as Ezra Pound once said: ‘poetry is news that stays news.’”

Kuusisto first met Simpson in 1995. They were both guide dog users attending a national conference on blindness. Kuusisto discovered Gritz through her writing before he met her in person at the Dodge Poetry Festival. He describes the rich dialogue the couple has crafted in their book of poems.

“Dan and Ona are two widely respected American poets who met later in their respective careers. Each happens to be disabled, and over time they decided to write poems back and forth to one another as a way to employ poetry in the service of dialogue—in a way this is what poetry has always done best, poets ask ‘what is life like for you, here’s what I know … ,’” Kuusisto says. “One may think of Emily Dickinson in this regard. As the poet James Tate once remarked, poetry ‘starts a fire with our identification papers,’ which is a nice way to say it warms us. Tate’s line also suggests that poetry allows us to know ourselves and others in new ways. That’s also part of what makes Dan and Ona’s new book so striking—these are two wondrous writers!”

Gritz’s poetry collection, “Geode,” was a finalist for the 2013 Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award. Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Bellevue Literary Review, Seneca Review, “Beauty Is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability” and many other journals and anthologies. Her other works include “Left Standing” (Finishing Line Press, 2005) and her memoir, “On the Whole: a story of mothering and disability” (Shebooks and Audible.com). Gritz was a columnist for Literary Mama and served, along with Simpson, as poetry editor for Referential Magazine.

Simpson’s work includes his collection of poems, “School for the Blind” (Poets Wear Prada, 2014) and has appeared in Prairie Schooner, The Cortland Review, Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, Passager, The Atlanta Review, The Louisville Review and The New York Times, among others. Cinquo Puntos Press published his essay “Line Breaks the Way I See Them” and four of his poems in “Beauty Is a Verb.” He received a fellowship in literature from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. His blog, “Inside the Invisible,” can be found at .

“We are thrilled to welcome distinguished��poets Ona Gritz and Dan Simpson to the ���ϲ����� campus for reasons too numerous to count, but particularly because their bold aesthetics and deep values broaden and enliven discussions and considerations of disability justice and all forms of equity,” Wiener says.

Kuusisto encourages people to hear Gritz and Simpson and their powerful message through verse.

“Each of us has an important story to share. Creative writers are folks who’ve figured out they don’t have to be shy about the matter,” Kuusisto says. “Sometimes I like to think of literary writing, whether it’s poetry, nonfiction, fiction or drama, as a record of each person’s attempt to make sense of her, his, they, life—that Jeffersonian thing, the pursuit of happiness. Knowledge is happiness, even when it may not always seem so.”

Along with their book, “Border Songs,” other copies of their works will also be available for sale and for signing.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided during the poetry reading and the reception. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided during the poetry reading.

Parking is complimentary for the event. The Booth Garage and the Marion Lot will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Q5 Lot has been designated for accessible parking. For any questions pertaining to parking, contact Dee Bailey at debailey@syr.edu. For other accommodations, contact sudcc@syr.edu.

This event is made possible by the Co-Curricular Departmental Initiatives Program within the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience, and is co-sponsored by the Disability Cultural Center and the Disability Studies Program, among others.

The full-day international summit focuses on the theme of “Our Own Icons!” and aims to engage participants in reflective discussions about the representations of disability, both implicit and explicit, in mainstream popular cultures. The����features a plenary panel of comic artists and thinkers who are disability rights activists; workshops on cosplay, comics and collaborative design; an inclusive photo booth; art exhibits; and much more.

Calling Utopia

This year, the Disability Student Union and Disability Cultural Center are co-sponsoring a concert with pop rock band from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Schine Underground. It will be live-streamed, captioned and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted. A Q&A session with the band will follow the concert. The will be active on April 22 during the morning panel (10 to 11:30 a.m.) and concert. Participants are also welcome to Tweet .

Calling Utopia is a pop-rock band hailing from Millicent, Australia, and features sister-duo Sarah and Jessica Renehan. The band formed in 2008 and released its debut album, “XIII” in 2010. Accompanying the sisters for the concert are bassist Samuel Roux, ACCESS college coordinator for Onondaga Community Living, working in collaboration with ���ϲ�����, and drummer Harry Pitsikoulis, a sophomore, majoring in television, radio and film in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and minoring in music.

The band also wrote and performed the theme song for the (United Kingdom). The sisters, after learning about the Department of Ability, were eager to contribute to creator Dan White’s effort. Like White and wife Aimee’s 10-year-old daughter, Emily (leader of the Department of Ability), Sarah Renehan was born with hydrocephalus. Emily was also born with Spina Bifida. In 2011, Renehan founded The Brain Drain Project; she and her brother, artist , created the superhero comic . The Renehan sisters and the White family will meet in person for the first time in ���ϲ�����.

For additional details, including registration information, visit the “Cripping” the Comic Con .

The full-day international summit focuses on the theme of “Our Own Icons!,” and aims to engage participants in reflective discussions about the representations of disability, both implicit and explicit, in mainstream popular cultures.�� The event features the United Kingdom’s Department of Ability and our very own Access Avengers, two teams of superheroes with disabilities.

“I am thrilled and honored to welcome and introduce our distinguished international guests during this fifth annual and unique celebration of disability arts and music at ���ϲ�����,” says Diane Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center. “I am especially excited to have our youth ambassadors with disabilities from across the planet meet one another and interact with our students, faculty, staff, and community partners. One of the main goals of this symposium is to raise awareness of disability as an experience of cultural identity and pride. Always, we aim to do so by celebrating relationships and alliances, by building inclusive, intersectional and accessible coalitions.�� And, yes, of course—we also hope to have a great time.”

The includes a live-streamed captioned American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted panel of comic artists and thinkers who are disability rights activists, a variety of workshops (all interpreted in ASL), and a live-streamed captioned ASL interpreted concert featuring Australian pop rock band Calling Utopia. Additionally, the event features breakfast and dinner buffets with inclusive food, art exhibitions, vendors and information tables, an accessible photo booth, a quiet and “low stim” room, and a gaming room. The evening prior, attendees are also invited to join the DCC and Orange After Dark for an encore inclusive, screening of Disney/Pixar’s “Finding Dory” with open captioning and audio description on Friday, April 21, at 10 p.m. in Schine 304s.

To request additional accommodations, complete the by Friday, April 14.

“Cripping” the Comic Con is hosted by the Disability Cultural Center, with support from the Disability Student Union, the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, the Slutzker Center for International Services, the Center on Human Policy, the Office of Student Activities, and the Office of Disability Services.�� The event is free, open to the public and includes free parking.�� For more information, visit the “

“OrangeAbility has not only become a cherished, enjoyable and splendid tradition at SU for students and other community members with disabilities, it has, as our tagline asserts, shown everyone, ‘You don’t have to be able-bodied to play, and you don’t have to have a disability to play accessible sports,’” says DCC Director Diane Wiener. “This concept is far more than philosophical. It highlights the pragmatism of cultural change that many of us seek as well as expect, while underscoring the contributions that disabled people make to our campus and to society.”

OrangeAbility highlights the legacy and growing vibrancy of the disability community on and off campus. Attendees are encouraged to participate in accessible, adaptive and inclusive sports, including relays, wheelchair basketball, power soccer and inclusive yoga. Also, participants may visit with local community-based organizations, interact with SU student groups, and engage with competing teams. The event is free and open to the public. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.

Register online on the or day-of at the expo to play with a team, volunteer, table with groups or request specific accommodations.

In addition to this year’s festivities, the Student Association (SA) is set to relaunch its highly anticipated Cycle Share Program, previously known as the��Bike Share Program. SA has worked with the DCC, Move Along Inc., Bike-On, and other faculty, staff and students to add two adaptive cycles to the program. Initially, one cycle will be adapted for chair users and another for students on crutches.

“We are excited��to be launching the Cycle Share Program��at OrangeAbility, what we believe is the first of its kind in the country. We hope to further strengthen this program by ensuring that all students are able to use these cycles,” says Joyce LaLonde, a senior public relations and policy studies major and SA vice president.

Cycles can be reserved via the online reservation form on the beginning April 3. The cycles can be checked out from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and all cycles must be returned within 24 hours, unless shared on the weekend in which case a cycle may be returned Monday.

For more information on OrangeAbility or to request accommodations, visit the or email orangeability@gmail.com.

For more information on the Cycle Share Program, email LaLonde at jelalond@syr.edu.

The dialogue, on “Anti-Semitism Today,” will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and inclusive food will be provided.

The gathering will include a shared meal, facilitated dialogue and a time of mindful meditation. It will be co-facilitated by chaplains, staff and students. This series is co-sponsored by Hendricks Chapel and the Disability Cultural Center, and is made possible through the Co-Curricular Departmental Initiatives program within the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience.

For any questions, including pertaining to accommodations requests, please contact the Disability Cultural Center at sudcc@syr.edu.

The final dialogue in the spring series, “Remembering/Honoring/Responding to Pulse, Orlando,” will be held on April 4.

“Disabilifunk is an event that has become incredibly popular. We plan our events so that they are��inclusive and accessible so everyone can join and have fun!” says Rachel Langer, a senior majoring in neuroscience and psychology in the and vice president of the DSU.

Each year, students are invited to participate in a night of��karaoke and fun-filled entertainment.��The goal is to engage in and present an inclusive atmosphere through an exciting series of performances. These performances are led��by student and community groups, but more notably, by students who partake in the joys of karaoke.

“Through an��exciting series of��performances featuring��student groups and community groups, followed by karaoke, students will engage and support each other and make it a safe environment where everyone can feel comfortable,” says Langer.

Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Schine Box Office. Food and beverages will be provided, including gluten-free options.

The DSU promotes a fully inclusive institution and culture through programming, education and advocacy about topics related to disability, by people with and without disabilities.

The DCC coordinates campuswide social, educational and cultural activities on disability issues for students, faculty, staff and community members with and without disabilities.

For more information on Disabilifunk, or for any accommodation requests, contact Langer at rjlanger@syr.edu. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.

“It’s creating a new context around disability as being a positive asset and empowering and engaging students to see disability as a source of where additional strength and skills have been developed and enhanced—literally because they have a disability,” Possenti-Perez says. “In terms of disability services, we focus on empowering our students and target the design of our environment as problematic, and accommodations stem from there.”

Office of Disability Services Director Paula Possenti-Perez

It was important to her that this way of thinking aligned with the University’s values when she first came to campus early last year to meet with administrators about the director’s position.

“I was very open about, not only my skill set, but also my philosophy and vision,” Possenti-Perez says. “It needed to match because that would be the direction I would want to take the office and it was exactly in line with what the University was looking for.”

Possenti-Perez, who started in August, directs and oversees all disability-related accommodations and services for students, including counseling, alternative exam administration, Psycho-Educational Testing Clinic, alternative format and note-taking services.

Within the first month, she implemented changes to the mandatory testing services and forged connections with disability advocates and offices and colleges across campus. She is also continuing to engage with more students.

“There’s so much opportunity to engage and collaborate across the University. I want us to sort of reinvent ourselves in terms of ODS being seen as a resource area,” Possenti-Perez says.

Possenti-Perez’s work is similar to her prior position at Dutchess Community College, where she was coordinator of the Office of Accommodative Services for over 10 years.

While on campus during the interview process, Possenti-Perez met with many on campus who interact and collaborate with the Office of Disability Services. One of the first people she met was Diane Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center (DCC).

“The DCC’s focus on the coordination of campus-wide social, educational and cultural activities on disability issues for students, faculty, staff and community members with and without disabilities is a standout in higher education,” Possenti-Perez says. “Not only because this generally comes from the disability services office on most college campus, but because I see it as the University’s commitment to our students and community. The idea that we have a whole other area devoted to disability culture, rights and pride and that we can work in tandem is a beautiful union.”

Possenti-Perez is looking to bridge some gaps between the different points of access for students.

“There are a lot of students who go to the Disability Cultural Center who don’t affiliate with ODS, and vice versa,” she says. “We’re looking to really change the culture of ODS in terms of becoming a more empowering space and one that embodies that cultural aspect of diversity in a very positive way.”

In ODS, one of her first challenges was revamping the work of the testing center. Mandatory testing accommodations are the largest service the office offers. During finals, the testing staff managed the administration of over 1,000 exams in a little over a week.

Sign-ups for testing are now automated for both students and faculty and now allow for faculty input.

“I’ve been working with the new staff, and Kala Rounds, who is the new coordinator of exam administration, and they have done a phenomenal job,” she says. “The goal is to improve the experience for everybody.”

Students who disclose they have a disability initially meet with an ODS counselor to review what accommodations and services they may require for the semester.

With a newly developed student assessment survey that helps structure the conversation, counselors gain insight from the student’s perspective as to how they learn and the challenges they encounter in the learning environment.

The counselor then develops an accommodation plan, a fluid plan that details accommodations and services that focuses on the student’s strengths and targets the environmental barriers. The plan might include allowing for extended time for testing, textbooks in alternative format, note taking strategies (such as using the “Live Scribe Pen”) and tutoring.

ODS counselors may also meet with students on a regular basis on a variety of matters, such as time management and organizational assistance, problem solving, liaison with faculty and advocacy.

“They really serve as more of an access and learning specialist,” Possenti-Perez says.

Another role that is equally important to her is to support faculty in their frontline engagement with students, whether in classroom access, effective pedagogy or testing accommodations. In addition, she looks to engage in training across departments or collaborative work with such offices as the Tutoring Center and Athletics.

Possenti-Perez, who is a co-chair on the search committee for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator position, has a close working relationship with other disability advocates on campus and is a member of the newly created Staff for the Disability Community. The group, led by Cynthia Maxwell Curtin, associate vice president, chief officer for Equal Opportunity, Inclusion, and Resolution Services and interim 503/504 and ADA coordinator, brings together key staff people to address broad disability-related issues on campus.

In the broader statewide community, she is the incoming president of the New York State Disability Services Council and a newly appointed member of the New York State Advisory Council, which was recently established within the New York Department of Education.

As one of her goals in ODS, Possenti-Perez plans to assess student learning and development outcomes, which she implemented at her previous institution and has trained others in implementing. “We need to be able to assess our services for efficacy and not only say what we are doing and how we do it, but also prove we are doing what we are saying,” she says.

With the various plans for ODS underway, Possenti-Perez appreciates the work of the ODS staff to make them happen. “They are responsive, proactive and I really believe in collaboration in terms of how we create these goals and look for ideas from the staff to achieve them,” she says. “The opportunity to make positive changes is really empowering for me.”

Possenti-Perez is also looking forward to settling in to the new home she recently purchased in the University neighborhood, with her two daughters—Beth, a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, and Gabrielle, who will be graduating from Dutchess Community College. Her son, Matthew, lives in Florida. “That’s really exciting. I’m putting down roots in ���ϲ�����,” she says.

This year’s Orange Central celebration features events for alumni, current students, faculty, staff and the entire community. Free parking will be available at many locations around campus.

Special reunions will be held for Class of 1963 (50th reunion), Class of 1988 (25th reunion), Alumni Spirit (including cheerleading, Otto and dance team), Marching Band, LGBTQ, OrangeSeeds, Mt. Olympus, SU Abroad, Honors Program, Generation Orange, Hendricks Chapel Choir, SU Men’s Hockey, Women’s Field Hockey and Office of Residence Life.

Orange Central will also include a football game on Saturday vs. Clemson, SU’s inaugural ACC game in the Carrier Dome. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

The co-chairs for this year’s Orange Central are actor Jay Harrington ’93 (VPA) and Bea González G’04, dean of University College.

Register for Orange Central at . For questions, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-SUALUMS (782-5867) or email orangecentral@syr.edu.

Orange Central 2013 is the perfect time for students to show their Orange pride. Students can enjoy a week filled with SU traditions hosted by the Traditions Commission, with free food, T-shirts, prizes and more. Otto is already getting pumped for the big game against the Clemson Tigers. Watch how Otto plans to “Tame the Tiger” at .

On Thursday, Oct. 3, the LGBTQ Resource Center will sponsor a screening of the GLAAD Media Award-nominated documentary “Codebreaker” at 7 p.m. in Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3. The screening is free and open to the public.

Also on Thursday, University Union will present a concert featuring Twenty One Pilots—named an MTV “Artist to Watch”—at 7:30 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium in the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center. Tickets are $10 for students with SU I.D. and $12 for alumni and are available at the Schine Box Office and online at orangecentral.syr.edu.

Students are also organizing the Orange Central Parade and Pep Rally, which steps off from the front of the Schine Student Center at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 (lineup begins at 4:45 p.m.). The parade travels throughout the University area and travels back to the Kenneth A. Shaw Quad. The pep rally will immediately follow on the steps of Hendricks Chapel (rain location is inside Hendricks) and will include the announcement of the Homecoming King and Queen, and Greek House decorating and parade banner winners.

For a complete listing of student events, visit .

The vintage travel illustrations created for this year’s Orange Central are available as a series of four 18” x 24” posters that capture all the beauty and excitement of the ���ϲ����� campus. Posters are $10 each or $35 for the complete set. They are on sale now at the SU Bookstore or online at .

In addition to special reunions, highlights of Orange Central include:

The Erie Canal and Its Engineering History, Featuring Professor Sam Clemence
Friday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.
107 Hall of Languages

Come experience one of the greatest stories of American technology, the engineering achievements of the Erie Canal. After its opening in 1825, the impact of the canal was extraordinary on the State of New York and the United States. Because of the Erie Canal, Upstate New York became the equivalent of today’s Silicon Valley. Registration is required for this event at http://orangecentral.syr.edu.

Continuing the Legacy: ���ϲ�����’s Commitment to Veterans
Friday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.
Lender Auditorium, Whitman School of Management

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) invites you to come and listen to SU military veterans. Hear how SU tripled in size between 1945 and 1947 as the “Greatest Generation” flooded the campus after the end of World War II. Find out what’s happening on campus and around the country to continue that legacy today. Following the panel, the IVMF invites you to join them for an Open House at 700 University Ave., Suite 303, from 10 a.m.-noon. Registration is required for this event at http://orangecentral.syr.edu.

A Conversation with George Saunders G’88
Friday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.
Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3.
Saunders, a professor in and renowned author whose 2013 Convocation address recently went viral, will discuss the creative process and his teaching.

Arents Award Luncheon
Friday, Oct. 4, 11:30 a.m.
Schine Student Center, Goldstein Auditorium

This luncheon celebrates all returning alumni and honors recipients of the George Arents Award, ���ϲ�����’s highest alumni honor. Watch as this year’s recipients—Taye Diggs ’93, Carole Swid Eisner ’58, Henry Grethel ’54, Sid Lerner ’53, and George Saunders G’88—are recognized for being leaders in their fields. Tickets are $25 per person, and balcony seating is available for students for the award portion of the event. Reservations for the luncheon are required; visit http://orangecentral.syr.edu.

IDEA Juicer
Friday, Oct. 4, 2 p.m.
207 Hall of Languages

Watch students put their ideas on the table and duke it out in ���ϲ�����’s own shark tank. As a member of the audience, you’ll find out what it takes to compete for startup funding and how RvD IDEA helps students explore entrepreneurship at SU. Then network with entrepreneurial students and alumni.

The Legacy of Pan Am 103 at SU
Friday, Oct. 4, 3-4:30 p.m.
Watson Theater

On Dec. 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up en route from London to New York. Among the 270 killed were 35 students studying abroad through ���ϲ�����. The effects of this tragedy were felt across campus and remain part of campus life today. A panel moderated by Cara A. Howe, assistant archivist for the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives, will discuss the legacy Pan Am 103 has created at ���ϲ�����.

Cooking with David Shalleck ’83
Friday, Oct. 4, 3-5 p.m.
304 Schine Student Center

Shalleck returns to ���ϲ����� for an exclusive cooking demonstration and book signing. An alumnus of the , Shalleck has worked as a chef and culinary television producer for more than 20 years. He has cooked in renowned restaurants and for exclusive events in New York, San Francisco, the Napa and Sonoma valleys, many of Italy’s famous regions and in conjunction with the finest cruise lines. His most recent television credits include producing the PBS series “More Fast Food My Way” with Jacques Pépin, “José Made in Spain” with José Andrés and the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” with chef Cat Cora. Shalleck’s award-winning book “Mediterranean Summer” will be available for purchase and signing following the demonstration. Registration is required for this event at http://orangecentral.syr.edu.

Disability Cultural Center Open House
Friday, Oct. 4, 5–7 p.m.
105, 106 and 108 Hoople Building

Join the staff of the Disability Cultural Center (DCC) as they host an Open House. You will enjoy entertaining conversations, an inclusive menu and learn more about their services, advocacy and programming. SU’s Disability Cultural Center is a first of its kind in the world. An American Sign Language interpretation will be provided.

Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Dinner
Friday, Oct. 4, 5-8 p.m.
Sheraton ���ϲ����� Hotel and Conference Center

This special dinner is for alumni who have already celebrated their 50th reunion and includes the presentation of the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award. This year’s recipient is Don Hornung ’53. Cocktails are at 5 p.m.; award presentation and dinner will be at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person. Registration is required for this event at http://orangecentral.syr.edu.

’Cuse Brew and Barbecue
Friday, Oct. 4, 6-9 p.m.
Kenneth A. Shaw Quad
Alumni, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy an evening of friendship, delicious food from Dinosuar BBQ, microbrews from Empire Brewing Co. and the great music of Letizia and the Z Band. Admission is $10 per person.

An Evening with Brian Dennehy
Friday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3

In a career that has spanned more than 35 years, award-winning actor Brian Dennehy has had memorable roles in films including “Cocoon,” “Silverado,” “F/X,” “Presumed Innocent” and “Tommy Boy,” and on stage in “Death of a Salesman” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” He was awarded a Tony Award in 1999 and in 2003 for these stage performances and maintains a full schedule as an actor on stage, screen and television. In an interview with Tim Bond, artistic director of ���ϲ����� Stage, he will share stories from his prolific career and will entertain us in an evening of recollection, readings and performance.

DanceWorks Presents: Journey Abroad, Sponsored by Traditions Commission
Friday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m.
Goldstein Auditorium, Schine Student Center
This event features performances by talented student groups. Tickets are $3 for students with SU I.D., $5 faculty/staff/alumni and $7 for the general public and are available at the Schine Box Office.

Behind the Scenes at Setnor: Chimes Tour and Organ Demonstration
Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 and 10 a.m.
Meet at 301 Crouse College

Lutheran Campus Ministry and United Methodist Ecumenical Campus Ministry
Joint Worship Service (celebrating Lutheran Campus Ministry’s 100th anniversary)
Sunday, Oct. 6, 11 a.m.
Hendricks Chapel

A reception will follow in Hendricks Chapel.

For more information on all Orange Central events, visit http://orangecentral.syr.edu.