Update Sept. 7: The concert has been postponed due to artist illness and will be rescheduled for a future date. Ticketholders will receive further information from concert organizers.

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen and his legendary E Street Band will perform on campus for the third time Thursday, making a stop in ���ϲ����� at the JMA Wireless Dome on the second U.S. leg of their marathon 2023 tour. The concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays at entry and download their tickets to their mobile device prior to entry. Springsteen has no opening act and is anticipated to take the stage promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Those “Born to Run,” “Born in the USA” or who simply want to do “The E Street Shuffle” for a couple of hours are in luck, as tickets are still , starting as low as $51.20 plus fees.

This is the fifth major musical act to perform in the JMA Dome since significant “Phase 1” renovations of the facility were completed in fall 2020. Springsteen follows on the heels of recent performances by Paul McCartney (June 2022), Elton John (September 2022), the Red Hot Chili Peppers (April 2023) and most recently, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe (August 2023).

University Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala is thrilled to welcome an act of this caliber and credits the transformation of the JMA Dome—which continues its second phase through 2024—with being able to draw major acts to come play at ���ϲ�����.

“This is why Bruce is here,” Sala says of the renovations. “The air conditioning alone is a huge upgrade for these acts, but the overall shape of the facility is just phenomenal. We have a reputation out there in the business for being a really easy venue to work with. We treat people well because we want them to come back.”

For those heading to the show, here is the know-before-you-go information to make your travel and concert experience as smooth as possible.

Concessions/Merchandise

Cash is not accepted at any concession locations, the box office or merchandise stands. Major credit cards, debit cards and mobile payment (Apple Pay, Android Pay and Google Wallet) are accepted. For those who just can’t resist buying a tour poster or T-shirt, there will be an outdoor tent located outside of Gate N prior to the show selling artist merchandise. Once the show begins, additional merch booths will open inside the venue as concourse traffic eases.

Clear Bag Policy

As with all events at the JMA Dome, a clear bag policy will be enforced. Each fan is allowed one clear bag and one small clutch or purse, with exceptions for medically necessary items. Please visit the for additional information. Being aware of the policy ahead of time will help expedite entry into the venue.

Parking

If you are a member of our campus community planning to attend the concert, your existing campus parking pass will be honored in University Avenue Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage, University Avenue North and South lots, and the Irving Avenue Hill lot, as space allows.

All parking is cashless. Customers may pay via credit card (including tap and pay), or through Google Pay or Apple Pay. Have payment ready for the lot attendants, to ensure an efficient flow of traffic.

Pay parking is available at several locations around campus, including:

• Comstock/Colvin Lots: $25 per car, includes free shuttle service to and from College Place
• Skytop Lot: $25 per car, includes free shuttle service to and from College Place
• Drumlins Country Club: $25 per car, includes free shuttle service to and from College Place; Drumlins will provide a light bar tailgate menu beginning on its property at 4 p.m.
• Limited availability in University Avenue Garage and Comstock Avenue Garage: $35 per car, please note that garages close two hours after the event ends
• Accessible parking for those with a nationally-recognized handicap placard or license plate will be available at the Skytop Lot for $25 per car, which includes free shuttle service to and from Gate A of the JMA Wireless Dome

Those who haven’t purchased a parking permit in advance are encouraged to use the Brighton Avenue exit off 1-81 and take Ainsley Drive to the Skytop Lot.

Campus Travel Before and After the Concert

Regular shuttles to South Campus and other campus and Centro shuttles will continue to run during and after the event, though arrivals and departures may be delayed due to the large amount of vehicular traffic in the University area.

���ϲ�����’s Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) will make a temporary change to campus traffic patterns following the conclusion of the concert.

As the concert ends, PTS and the ���ϲ����� Police Department will close Comstock Avenue to all traffic except parking shuttles, which will travel between the College Place bus stop, the Colvin Street and Comstock Avenue Lots and the Skytop Lot.

The concert is anticipated to end between 10:20 and 10:50 p.m., and at that time, PTS will direct all traffic away from Comstock Avenue between Waverly Avenue and East Colvin Street. As a significant crowd is expected for the concert, this will allow for the efficient exit and transportation of the concert attendees from the shuttle stop at College Place to their parking lots on South Campus. The road will reopen as soon as the concert shuttles are cleared. More information about parking is available on the .

Be Ready to Rock

When asked what it means to have The Boss return to campus after a 31-year hiatus, Sala says, “I can’t wait. You’re going to see some special stuff and it’s going to be a really good show … They’re going to do some things we’ve never done here before. So the crowd should have a really good time.”

Construction continues at the JMA Wireless Dome on the installation of upgraded chairback seating and the introduction of new premium offerings throughout the venue.��The change from bench seating to chairback seating will create a new fan experience, including a new seating map and revised capacities for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s lacrosse games.

The new chairbacks will add comfort and accessibility for fans and feature a larger seat width and height. The changes to the seating will result in an adjustment to the number of seats in each row and section throughout the venue. Though the effect on each section will vary, some sections may decrease by up to 200 seats.

To accommodate these new capacities and revised seating maps, each season ticket holder will select a new seat through a coordinated seating process. The reseating process will begin in late summer with suite holders for all JMA Dome events and courtside seats for both men’s and women’s basketball. All current season ticket holders will have priority for seat selection in 2024-25.

“���ϲ����� Athletics is committed to presenting timely and transparent information to ensure a smooth transition for our loyal ticket holders throughout the reseating process,” says ’Cuse Athletics Fund (’CAF) Executive Director Michael Paulus. “We look forward to communicating this plan to our ’CAF members and donors in the coming months.”

The chairback seating that will replace the bench seating throughout the 100, 200 and 300 levels will be installed prior to the 2024 football season. Preparation work for the seating replacement is underway, including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements, with widening of aisles to 48 inches, replacement of vomitory ramps, construction of new ADA seating platforms and railing replacements. Additionally, life safety improvements include installation of new fire sprinklers, fire alarm system upgrades and the addition of a building-wide smoke evacuation system.

Elements of the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project anticipated for the fall of 2023 include��5G capabilities and the Kuhn Game Day Lounge presented by Hidden Level. Enhancements to the JMA Dome began in 2020 with a $118 million construction project that included a new roof, lighting and air conditioning.

For the most up-to-date information on the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project, visit��. Alumni, fans and friends can visit the website to track construction progress, access seating and pricing updates, and sign up to become a Project Insider to receive notifications about the project.

Due to the construction, there will be no pedestrian traffic allowed between the JMA Dome and the Heroy Geology Laboratory on Monday, April 24. Pedestrians will be required to detour to the north of Heroy along Crouse Drive. This sidewalk will reopen on Tuesday, April 25. Additionally, there will be no parking north of the JMA Dome from Monday through Wednesday.

Delays in the proposed work may occur as a result of weather and/or unforeseen circumstances. In the event that there is a significant delay, we will issue revised information as soon as possible. Please contact Dave Warren, at 315.632.5238 or dcwarren@syr.edu, with any questions or concerns.

As the concert ends, PTS and the ���ϲ����� Police Department will close Comstock Avenue to all traffic except parking shuttles, which will travel between the College Place bus stop, the Colvin Street and Comstock Avenue lots, and the Skytop Lot.

The concert is anticipated to end between 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., and at that time, PTS will direct all traffic away from Comstock Avenue between Waverly Avenue and East Colvin Street. As a significant crowd is expected for the concert, this will allow for the efficient exit and transportation of the concert attendees from the shuttle stop at College Place to their parking lots on South Campus.

The road will reopen as soon as the concert shuttles are cleared. Regular shuttles to South Campus and other campus shuttles will continue to run during and after the event, though arrivals and departures may be delayed due to the large amount of vehicular traffic in the University area.

More information about parking for upcoming events is available via ���ϲ�����, or on the .

Monster Jam: With Monster Jam taking over the JMA Wireless Dome, parking changes are set to be in effect on Saturday, April 8. All campus parking lots will be restricted to Dome event permits, so if you need to park for academic reasons, ���ϲ����� parking permits will be honored at the University Avenue Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage, and Harrison lot. For the event itself, your ���ϲ����� permit will be honored in the Comstock lot, Colvin lot and Skytop lot.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert: If you’re planning on attending the Friday, April 14 concert, please be aware that all campus lots will be restricted, and valid ���ϲ����� permits will only be honored at University Garage, Comstock Avenue Garage and Skytop lot. If you need to be on campus for academic reasons and are arriving after 2 p.m., please use the University Avenue or Comstock Avenue garages.

Block Party: For Block Party on Friday, April 28, the Quad lot will be closed to all Quad permit holders, with limited space available for those with accessible parking permits. Quad permits will be honored in the other campus lots on a space-available basis. The blue and orange shuttles will continue their route to the Quad lot.

Commencement Weekend: Lastly, for Commencement on May 13-14, please note that on Saturday, May 13, home lot parking permits for the Quad, Lyman-Hinds lot, Carnegie and Barnes will only be honored on a space-available basis due to Convocation activities. For Commencement on Sunday, May 14, parking lots will be restricted to special event passes until 1 p.m. Restricted parking locations include the Quad, Lyman-Hinds, Carnegie, Barnes Arch lot, Irving garage, Women’s North and Hillside. If you have a “home lot” permit for these locations and need to park on Sunday, parking is available on a space-available basis at University Avenue Garage, Comstock Garage, University North, University South and Harrison lot. The Comstock and Colvin lots, along with West campus parking locations, will not be restricted.

Located in the Schine Student Center, the Campus Store is constantly buzzing with people shopping for a variety of different items. Recently renovated, there are two floors full of items.

Starting on the lower level, the market not only has everyones favorite drinks and grab-and-go snacks, but there are also local items featured from the Central New York area, including Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce, RodFather’s spice rubs and It’s a Utica Thing pasta sauce.

The lower level is also home to various office/school supplies, a custom framing area, fiction and non-fiction books and where the store hosts their pop-up events. Two upcoming pop-up events include a plant sale from Monday, March 20, through Friday, March 24, and a vintage University apparel pop-up Thursday, March 23, and Friday, March 24. Keep an eye on the Campus Store’s emails for more information or to sign up, .

The main level of the store features much more than apparel for men, women and children; there is something for every occasion!

Whether decorating an office or home, show your Orange pride with a piece of the Carrier Dome roof, a ’Cuse Trolley car figurine or even a decorative pillow. Show your game day pride with an official “S” lawn ornament or get everything you need for the next tailgate or ���ϲ����� Orange viewing party.

When you stop to pick up apparel for yourself, don’t forget your furry friends too. Share a picture of them in their new gear for a chance to be featured on the Campus Store’s social media accounts.

Finally, if you are in need of a unique gift, don’t forget to check out the variety of wonderful products by illustration artist Julia Gash.

Don’t live in the ���ϲ����� area? You can also shop the Campus Store online. For more information, including store hours, visit .

Photos courtesy of Abby Haessig.��

Cadets from the University’s Army ROTC lead regional high school JROTC cadets through the JROTC Fitness Challenge at the JMA Dome on Feb. 8.

Cadets from ���ϲ�����’s U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) welcomed more than 120 Junior ROTC cadets to the JMA Wireless Dome on the evening of February 8. The JROTC students came from seven high schools around Central and Western New York, and collectively had representation from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps JROTC programs.

The Stalwart Battalion ROTC cadets were responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of the event, similar to what they will experience on a regular basis as officers in the military. Instead of conducting physical fitness events like this one, however, they will use the same skills to carry out their orders in a wide range of occupational specialties from basic administration and logistics support.

U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Gabrielle Scheeren ’24, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, pauses during a low-crawl demonstration to ensure her team of JROTC students understand how to navigate the obstacle.

“Interacting with them helped me reflect on how much I have developed since being in their position. I really wanted them to understand you don’t need to have it all figured out by your senior year,” says Gabrielle Scheeren ’24, an Army ROTC cadet at ���ϲ����� and a junior with the College of Arts and Sciences. “Many of them were surprised to learn that medical services, along with branches like cyber and finance, are career options.”��Scheeren served as a team leader for the event, where she led 13 high school students through an intense circuit of exercises at stations scattered throughout the JMA Wireless Dome. The JROTC cadets tackled each station for five grueling minutes at a time, many finding their energy depleted before they had reached the halfway point.

While the university’s ROTC instructors were on hand to monitor the event as a precaution, they remained on the sidelines so the cadets had the opportunity to learn what did, or more importantly, what didn’t work according to their plan. “I was reminded of what thorough planning and preparation can accomplish, as well as the great impact that collaboration and teamwork have in achieving a mission or common goal,” says U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Luke Bonenberger, who is the Cadet Master Fitness Trainer for Stalwart Battalion.

���ϲ�����’s mascot, Otto, played a crucial role in the training event.

“Planning for the event was a deliberate and comprehensive process that spanned over the winter break and involved several meetings with the instructors to ensure the execution of the fitness challenge was seamless.” When it comes to the military, many decisions come down to a single person who is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of an operation. For this event, that person was Bonenberger. As the master fitness trainer, he bore a brunt of the responsibility for organizing and running the event. “As with any large-scale event, we dealt with the challenge of adapting to the high volume of JRTOC cadets in attendance and made necessary adjustments on the fly as needed to ensure a seamless and smooth execution.”

In addition to the physically challenging aspects of the event, which primarily served as a training exercise for the university’s ROTC cadets, the event also featured presentations from the University’s Office of Admissions and ROTC recruiting staff. Since JROTC students are somewhat familiar with the benefits of military service, it’s an opportunity to highlight the significance of ���ϲ�����’s commitment to servicemembers, veterans and their families.

This year, the following high schools from New York participated in the challenge:

• Carthage High School, Carthage, New York
• Fowler High School, ���ϲ�����, New York
• Greece Athena High School, Rochester, New York
• McKinley High School, Buffalo, New York
• Mexico High School, Mexico, New York
• Utica Proctor High School, Utica, New York
• Western New York Maritime Charter School, Buffalo, New York

Two Mexico High School JROTC cadets participate in a fitness challenge event, guided by a ���ϲ����� Army ROTC cadet.

One JROTC instructor from the participating schools brought more than his cadets to campus, retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Xavier Whitehead previously served with the Stalwart Battalion as a member of the U.S. Army ROTC’s cadre of instructors. Aside from getting a first-hand look at the changes made to the JMA Wireless Dome over the years, Whitehead also had the opportunity to see how the ROTC program has grown over the years.

“A lot of times the high school kids are unaware the ROTC cadets are college students; they just don’t see them like that. Not a lot has changed in that regard, ���ϲ����� has always produced quality leaders, and it’s great to come back and see that such a long-standing tradition continues today,” says Whitehead.

Rendering of the new JMA Dome sign.

The campus and greater ���ϲ����� communities will start to notice a new distinctive element being added to the campus skyline. Workers are beginning today to install the official JMA Wireless Dome signs on the facility’s crown truss and exterior.

First letter of the JMA Dome installed.

In May, ���ϲ����� and JMA Wireless (JMA) announced a 10-year partnership for naming rights of the University’s iconic on-campus stadium. For the first time since the venue opened its doors in 1980, the stadium has a new name, only the second in its history—the JMA Wireless Dome, referred to as the JMA Dome.

“Much like the enhancements to the signage inside the JMA Dome, the exterior sign installation is another exciting moment in our partnership with JMA Wireless,” says John Wildhack, director of Athletics. “These new signs are a visible display of ���ϲ�����’s proud partnership with JMA Wireless, two organizations that have a deep-rooted commitment to the Central New York community.”

Letter “A” being affixed to the crown truss.

The signs were designed by Geiger Engineers in Suffern, New York, and are being fabricated and will be installed by JPW Companies, a local company, located on Thompson Roadin ���ϲ�����.

“We are proud to work with a local company to fabricate these signs made from steel sourced right here in the U.S.,” says Vice President and Chief Campus Facilities Officer Pete Sala.

Some facts on the main JMA Dome sign to be installed include the following:

• The westward-facing sign will be attached to the crown-truss portion of the JMA Dome’s roof and will be 2,220 square feet, approximately the same size as two basketball courts.
• It will stand approximately 200 feet off the ground and become one of the largest stadium signs in the country.
• It will weigh in at 68,500 pounds, which translates to 32 tons or the weight of 17 cars.
• Standing 47 feet tall, including the JMA rings, it will be slightly taller than the iconic Hollywood sign in California.
• The letters alone will be 7.5 feet tall, which is about the size of the Statue of Liberty’s index finger.
• Two cranes are required for the installation due to the size and sheer mass of the signs.

Additional smaller exterior signs will be installed in the future, above select gates and will be 28 feet tall each.

Steel fabricated letter “J.”

The new partnership between ���ϲ����� and JMA Wireless, the continuing transformation of the JMA Dome and the impact of the Dome’s enhancements on the ���ϲ����� community and more broadly Central New York was outlined earlier this year.

To allow for this continued work, the upper sidewalk on the west side of the JMA Dome, between the two sets of stairs, will continue to be closed. Additionally, the Irving Avenue pull-off (across from Dineen Hall) and the adjacent sidewalk will be closed. This will provide the contractors a safe location to unload and assemble the signage. All pedestrians will be required to use the sidewalk on the west side of Irving Avenue during this time. Accessible pathways up to campus will not be affected.

To allow for the assembly and disassembly of the aforementioned cranes, there will also be required closures of Forestry Drive. These closures will be for approximately two days each: one occurred in mid-January (for assembly) and one in February (for disassembly). Short additional closures may be required to lower the crane to the ground during high wind events. During each of these Forestry Drive closures, other roads on the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry campus will remain open.

Otto’s Army, the ���ϲ�����’s student section, is partnering with the Forever Orange Student Alumni Council on this special effort to spotlight the importance of giving back.

“Otto’s Army could not be more excited for the Blizzard! Seeing the student section come together and unite under this theme in support of our team is the highlight of game day. Being in the ���ϲ����� student section means more than just being a fan, it means being a part of something bigger—being a part of Otto’s Army. Giving goes a long way in helping the student section experience. Otto’s Army can only pull off so many of our wonderful initiatives without the support of these gifts, and so we appreciate everyone who assists us in our quest to remain the biggest, the loudest and the best student section in the nation,” says Anna Terzaghi ’25, president of Otto’s Army.

Students will be wearing Blizzard T-shirts with QR codes on the back; when someone scans to make a gift, that gift will go directly to Otto’s Army. Gifts support student travel to games, so that the travel does not become cost prohibitive.

For seniors, the gifts are especially meaningful. When a senior makes a gift of at least $20.23 in honor of their class year, it’s considered a Class Act gift—and the student will receive special cords at Commencement to show that they gave back.

“I’m proud to give back to the ���ϲ����� community because it makes special events and unique opportunities possible that current and future students can enjoy and take advantage of during their college experience,” says Anna Jenkins ’23, co-president of the Forever Orange Student Alumni Council.

The Blizzard is set for Monday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome. The game will be nationally televised and is the only ACC game that day, meaning all eyes will be on this amazing fundraising effort!

Can’t be at the game? Here’s how to .

James D. Kuhn ’70, G’72 and his wife, Marjorie, have provided a substantial new commitment to support the Forever Orange Campaign for ���ϲ����� and of the multimillion-dollar, multi-year effort to reimagine the stadium experience. The gift creates a new premium field/courtside space within the JMA Dome and provides an upgraded fan experience for premium seat holders for all five ���ϲ����� Athletics programs that compete in the facility.

“Through their philanthropy, Jimmy and Marjorie continuously redefine what it means to be a fan, friend and ambassador of ���ϲ�����,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Thanks to their leadership, selflessness and vision, ���ϲ����� will continue to transform and elevate the fan and student experience on campus for years to come.”

The Kuhns have made several high-impact gifts over the years. Their gifts have established the and the Leo and Sunnie Kuhn Endowed Scholarship for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Whitman School of Management, as well as the Kuhn Film Fund in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. They have also supported initiatives in the School of Architecture, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and ���ϲ����� Athletics. In addition to supporting a number of ���ϲ����� initiatives, Kuhn has been a champion of philanthropy to a number of other organizations with gifts to NYU Langone, National Jewish Hospital, Mt Sinai, HSS and the Diversity Scholarship Fund at NYU Schack Real Estate Center for students pursuing a master’s degree in real estate.

James Kuhn is just as generous with his time. He has served on the Board of Trustees since 2007, was vice chair from 2013-17 and chair of the Facilities Committee from 2009-13. He has been a member of the Board Executive, Finance and Facilities committees. He also currently serves as chair of the Board Athletics Committee (through early May 2023). He is a member of the Whitman Advisory Council, which he had previously chaired for 10 years. In 2010, Kuhn received the inaugural Dritz Rookie Trustee of the Year Award and in 2018, he received the Dritz Trustee of the Year Award. In 2001, he received the Whitman School’s Jonathan J. Holtz Alumnus of the Year Award.

“Jimmy appreciates what it takes to excel as a student-athlete,” says John Wildhack, director of athletics. “Besides the commitment and hard work it takes to be a competitor, he knows that the entire University community plays a role in the success of our athletics program. Enhancing the fan experience at the JMA Dome strengthens our commitment to our student-athletes.”

A , Kuhn captained the ���ϲ����� fencing team during the 1967-68 season and was a three-time letterwinner. During his tenure on the team, he won the North Atlantic Collegiate Foil Championship and went on to finish in the top 16 at nationals in 1968. After a 25-year absence, Kuhn returned to fence in the veterans division, where he was ranked seventh in the nation by the time of his retirement in 2001.

“���ϲ����� gave me everything I needed and wanted to prepare me for life,” says Kuhn. “There are two things you can do in your life that are unrequited—philanthropy and helping your children be better than you are.”

After earning a B.S. in finance in 1970 and an MBA in 1972 from ���ϲ�����, Kuhn began his career as a lender with Metropolitan Life, and then was an owner/manager with The Mendik Company, before selling it to Vornado. He is principal, president and head of investor services for New York-based Newmark, which he joined in 1992. With more than 6,500 employees worldwide, Newmark operates from approximately 170 global offices. Kuhn also founded and leads Newmark’s technology and innovation practice group.

aims to enhance the game day experience for all ���ϲ����� fans, student-athletes, coaches, students and alumni. The second phase of the project, which was announced in December, includes the installation of upgraded chairback seating and the introduction of new premium offerings throughout the venue, building upon earlier enhancements that included the installation of a new roof, the largest center-hung video scoreboard in college sports, air conditioning throughout the venue, lighting and sound enhancements, and an improved concessions experience.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ�����

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ����� is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

To express the celebration theme of “Civil Rights and the City of ���ϲ�����,” four local artists were selected to show their works in the specially constructed gallery, which will be open to the public on Sunday, Jan. 22, before and during the traditional celebration dinner. The art gallery will open at 4:15 p.m. and the dinner will begin at 5 p.m. For more information, visit .

The exhibition will spotlight artists David R. MacDonald, Jaleel Campbell, Jessica McGhee ’19 and Vanessa Johnson. Curators for the exhibition include Qiana Williams and Cjala Surratt of the Black Artists’ Collective; Ken Harper, associate professor of visual communications and art curator in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; and Hendricks Chapel staff.

THE ARTISTS

, professor emeritus at ���ϲ�����, is an acclaimed and celebrated ceramic artist, who has lived in ���ϲ����� for many years. MacDonald joined the faculty of the School of Art and Design at ���ϲ����� in 1971. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, MacDonald’s work received most of its creative inspiration from his investigation of his African heritage. MacDonald draws much of his inspiration from the myriad examples of surface decoration that manifests itself in the many ethnic groups of sub-Saharan Africa. MacDonald’s work spans the complete spectrum of ceramic forms of a utilitarian nature.

Artwork by Jaleel Campbell

’s passion for creating knows no bounds. Whether it be through illustration work that showcases the often underrepresented, video work that captures the beauty and essence of Black life and culture, or handmade dolls that aim to honor and acknowledge African traditions, there is no limit to his creativity. “I create work that reminds Black people of their worth; even when the world becomes too heavy,” he says.

“Lexical Priming” by Jessica McGhee ’19

, originally from Los Angeles, California, moved to ���ϲ����� in 2008. She earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from ���ϲ����� in 2019 and is currently enrolled in the University’s creative arts therapy M.S. program. Her primary medium is painting, though she works in a variety of media. McGhee works therapeutically and believes strongly in art’s nonverbal ability to communicate, heal and transform the self in ways that impact the overall well-being of its creator. She is currently the arts programming coordinator and an instructor at the University’s La Casita Cultural Center.

“Hye Won Hye” by Vanessa Johnson

is a griot (storyteller) in the West African tradition. She is also a writer, playwright, actor, fiber artist, museum consultant, community activist, historian, educator and teaching artist. Johnson received the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Creatives Rebuild NY Grant for 2022-24. At Onondaga Historical Association, Johnson used her storytelling talents to tell the history of Onondaga County and she has been teaching in school programs since 2005. Presently, Johnsonteaches at ���ϲ�����’s Community Folk Art Center and is the artist-in-residence for the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation

“We are excited for this year’s participants to celebrate the richness of ���ϲ�����’s culture and beauty…and there’s no juicier way to do that than through art,“ says Harper, who has been on the MLK Event Planning Committee for the past three years. “We hope to expand the gallery next year to include collaborations with additional local artists, the Community Folk Art Center and the ���ϲ����� Art Museums.”

Tickets for the dinner and program, which will include student and community group performances, presentation of the Unsung Hero Awards and a keynote address from the Rev. Phil Turner,��.

This year’s theme is “Civil Rights and the City of ���ϲ�����.” Tickets for the dinner and program .

Reverend Phil Turner (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

This annual event is the largest of its kind on any college campus. The program seeks to honor the message and mission of Dr. King and is a direct expression of ���ϲ�����’s commitment to advancing academic excellence at a university welcoming to all.

“As we prepare for our first in-person MLK Celebration since 2020, our planning team is committed to highlighting the people and possibilities of our local community,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “I am honored to welcome Pastor Phil Turner as our featured speaker, as he embodies the spirit and soul of ���ϲ�����. Through his proven leadership and hopeful vision, Pastor Turner is the right person to bring us all together.”

Turner was elected as the 12th pastor of Bethany Baptist Church on Feb. 19, 2007. Following his formal installation in April of 2007, he helped expand congregational impact through membership growth, facility renovations, increased access to transportation services, and improved engagement with civic organizations and community organizers. Turner��led the development of a radio ministry, tutoring program and an annual festival that highlights African American heritage. Bethany Baptist Church also partners with the ���ϲ����� City School District, sponsors clothing giveaways, and hosts numerous local and regional events.

In addition to earning music recording contracts with Warner Bros. and 4th and Broadway, Turner��holds a bachelor of science in history and political science from Columbia College, a master of theological studies from��Northeastern Seminary and a certificate in church management from Villanova University.

“When Dr. King spoke, his words were so piercing because they came from truth, his inner light and compassion,” says Rev. Turner. “We must accept the challenge to make everyone’s lives better. Leaders need to have a healthy appetite for change. They can’t be afraid.”

Our 2023 program marks the 38th year for the MLK Celebration, which will include an address from Turner, student and community group performances, a presentation of this year’s , and recognition of the 2022 and 2021 Unsung Hero Awardees previously honored through online celebrations.

New this year is an art gallery featuring works from local Black artists, ��opening at 4:15 p.m. The traditional dinner—pulled BBQ pork, collard greens, sweet potato pie and more—will open at 5 p.m. Halal/Kosher, gluten-free and vegetarian options will be available. Dinner will be held near the JMA Dome’s west end zone, entry at Gate A. The main program with Rev. Turner and performers will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the east side. For program-only attendees, doors open at 6 p.m.

Ticket purchase options are as follows:

• ���ϲ����� staff, faculty, and the general public (dinner and program): $30
• Students (dinner and program): $15
• Main program only: FREE

Registration is required for all ticket purchase options.

All dinner tickets will be assigned a table number at the time of purchase, which will be included in the mobile tickets. Guests interested in sitting with friends are recommended to purchase tickets together to ensure the same table assignment.

Guests may order up to 10 dinner and program tickets online. To purchase one full table (10 seats), select 10 total tickets and proceed to checkout. To purchase more than one table or more than 10 individual tickets, or if experiencing difficulties, please call the JMA Dome Box Office at 1.888.DOME.TIX (315.443.2121), option four.

All dinner guests will be seated in the 100 level of the stands for the program following dinner. All guests attending the program only will be seated in the 200 level. Seating is general admission in those areas for the program.

Buy tickets online at��, in person at the Dome Box Office inside Gate B at 900 Irving Ave. (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by phone (888.DOME.TIX or 315.443.2121, option four). Tickets will be mobile this year and uploaded directly to your MyCuse account to manage upon purchase. View the for more information.

Free parking is available in the Irving Avenue Garage and in lots west of the JMA Dome. Visit the University’s ��for maps and directions. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available for the event. Accessible seating is provided on the concourse level of the JMA Dome.

For more information about the MLK Celebration or to request accommodations, contact Hendricks Chapel at��chapel@syr.edu��or 315.443.2901. Learn more about this and other Hendricks Chapel events by visiting .

Architectural rendering of the interior of the JMA Wireless Dome, illustrative of a future basketball game, as anticipated enhancements continue

“There is no doubting the enormous impact the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project is having on ���ϲ����� Athletics, the five teams that call this building home and the fans who enjoy visiting and cheering on the Orange,” says John Wildhack ’80, director of athletics. “There is a lot of exciting work ahead and still many details to confirm, but ���ϲ����� Athletics remains focused on providing an unmatched experience to our season ticket holders, donors and fans. As we continue to work through the revised seating map, we are committed to providing timely and transparent communication to our loyal supporters to ensure they continue to enjoy the level of service they have come to expect from the JMA Dome.”

Architectural rendering of the football field in the transformed JMA Wireless Dome

Today’s announcement represents the latest milestone in a multimillion-dollar, multiyear effort, which began in 2018, to reimagine the stadium experience. Since work commenced, the University has installed a new fixed roof, the largest center-hung video scoreboard in college sports and air conditioning. It has also invested significantly in accessibility updates, lighting and sound enhancements, and the concession experience.

“Our ongoing investments to create a state-of-the-art experience have been a pivotal component of the Campus Framework and demonstrates our commitment to aligning ���ϲ�����’s mission and vision with its physical spaces,” says Pete Sala, vice president, chief campus facilities officer and managing director of the JMA Dome. “I am thrilled to see this transformative project continue to deliver on this promise, and excited for what these enhancements will mean for current and future generations of Orange students, student-athletes, fans and visitors.”

Of course, one of the JMA Dome’s most consequential changes, beyond its physical appearance, is its name. Earlier this year, ���ϲ����� and JMA Wireless, announced a 10-year naming rights partnership, marking a historic collaboration that will elevate the digital infrastructure and provide fans and other users with the most advanced 5G wireless network. When complete, the JMA Dome will be one of the most technologically advanced and digitally connected stadiums of its kind. The University and JMA Wireless previously announced they expect this work to be done ahead of the start of the 2023 football season.

Upgraded chairback seating will be a key component of the second phase of transformation inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

As the transformation continues, ���ϲ����� is already looking to the future, with specific enhancements in mind. In particular, fans can expect to experience the introduction of new premium offerings, in-venue hospitality spaces, including the Kuhn Game Day Lounge presented by Hidden Level, and the eventual construction of Miron Victory Court, the latter of which will expand and redefine the JMA Dome’s footprint, connect it to the Barnes Center at The Arch and ultimately create a seamless navigational experience.

Phase two renovations and construction will begin in spring 2023 following Commencement and will be completed ahead of the 2024 football season. The University and ���ϲ����� Athletics will continue to provide updated information regarding the timeline of the renovation, seating and capacity changes, new ticket offerings and pricing as these plans are finalized.

For the most up-to-date information on the JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project, visit . Alumni, fans and friends can visit the website to track construction progress, access seating and pricing updates, and sign up to receive notifications about the project.

About ���ϲ����� Athletics

���ϲ����� Athletics is in an era of growth and is committed to upgrading and improving its athletic facilities across campus with the goal of elevating both the student-athlete experience and the ���ϲ����� fan experience. These projects will have an immediate and lasting impact on the ���ϲ����� community, all 20 sports teams and 600-plus student-athletes.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

Hot off the heels of their 2022 stadium tour with more than 1.3 million tickets sold, iconic and celebrated rock legends Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe will co-headline “The World Tour” in 2023 with special guest Alice Cooper. The U.S. leg of the tour kicks off in ���ϲ����� with a performance at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. ET. To purchase tickets, visit and .

“After finally getting back on the road this past summer, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience, including some special dates in America!” said Joe Elliott of Def Leppard.

“We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America this summer and we truly can’t wait to take the show around the globe with ‘The World Tour’ in 2023. Crüeheads get ready because we have a few amazing U.S. dates set for you!” Mötley Crüe said in a joint statement.

About Def Leppard

Otto hypes up the Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe concert featuring special guest Alice Cooper, scheduled for Aug. 5 in the JMA Dome.

With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Def Leppard—Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums)—continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music.

Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as the world’s greatest live rock band. Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and groundbreaking multiplatinum albums—including two of the best-selling albums of all time, “Pyromania” and “Hysteria,” capturing the group’s legendary tracks, bringing together such classic Leppard hits as “Rock of Ages,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Foolin.’”

For the first time, in January 2018 Def Leppard debuted their full recording catalogue worldwide via streaming and download platforms. As they did with the original release of their records, Def Leppard dominated the worldwide charts again, which found their albums charting in the iTunes Top 10 in more than 30 countries, including “Hysteria” at No. 3 in the U.S. and No. 5 in the U.K. (36 years after the album had charted at No. 1 in the Billboard charts).

About Mötley Crüe

Hailing from Los Angeles, the quartet—Vince Neil (vocals), Nikki Sixx (bass), Tommy Lee (drums) and Mick Mars (guitars)—has commandeered the rock pantheon for 41 years. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, garnered seven U.S. platinum and multiplatinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles, three Grammy nominations, five New York Times-bestselling books, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Netflix hit movie.

Known for their iconic live performances, Mötley Crüe has sold out countless tours across the globe in front of millions of fans with such groundbreaking production highlights as Tommy Lee’s drum-rollercoaster and Nikki Sixx’s flame-throwing-bass. They pioneered the Las Vegas rock residency with a sold out run in 2012. Such hit songs as “Kickstart My Heart” and “Home Sweet Home” are frequently licensed by major brands, including NASCAR, Dodge, Coldwell Banker, Carl’s Jr. and KIA, and their music can be heard on such hit TV shows as “Stranger Things” and “Cobra Kai.”

The band’s biography “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band” became a New York Times-bestseller in 2001 and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Members of the band have authored four additional New York Times-bestselling books since. In 2019 Netflix premiered “The Dirt” biopic based on the book, which became a global hit movie scoring a 94% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. As a result, Mötley Crüe gained an entire new generation of young fans who discovered the band through the movie and further solidified their iconic status, relevance and the timelessness of their songwriting.

About Alice Cooper

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock audiences of all ages. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. Cooper continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he’s best known for.

His 2021 album “Detroit Stories,” inspired by his hometown’s legacy of rock, debuted on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart at No. 1, and his recent “Live From the Astroturf” video/audio release recently did the same on the U.K.’s Official Music Video Chart.

While preparing two new albums for 2023 release, Cooper continues to do his nightly “Nights With Alice Cooper” syndicated radio show, and still manages to tour up to six months each year on the road. He continues to bring his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock-rock, Cooper (in both the original Alice Cooper band and as a solo artist) has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn.

The acclaimed rock band announced their 2023 tour today, in support of their two No. 1 studio albums that were released in 2022, “Unlimited Love” and “Return of the Dream Canteen.” Following a recent Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song for “Black Summer,” the band will embark on a 23-date global trek that kicks off on Wednesday, March 29, at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, with stadium shows and festival stops across North America and Europe in Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston, Lisbon, Madrid, Vienna and more before wrapping up on Saturday, July 23, in Glasgow, United Kingdom, at Hampden Park. The Strokes, Iggy Pop, The Roots, The Mars Volta, St. Vincent, City and Colour, Thundercat and King Princess will join the band on select dates.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers 2023 Tour comes close on the heels of the band’s largest 40-date stadium tour to date, which included massive sold-out shows in London, Paris, Los Angeles and more. Such notable artists as A$AP Rocky, Anderson .Paak, Beck, HAIM and more joined the band on the road through 2022. After completing the wildly successful tour across North America and Europe this year, Red Hot Chili Peppers continue into January 2023 with eight dates across New Zealand and Australia, featuring Post Malone.

Tickets go on sale starting Friday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. local time at .

As a result of the two album releases this year going No. 1, Red Hot Chili Peppers notably stand out as the first rock band in 17 years to achieve the feat. Moreover, “Return of the Dream Canteen” bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart—just like its predecessor “Unlimited Love” did back in April. Both albums were produced by longtime collaborator and creative confidant Rick Rubin. Plus, it reached No. 1 in numerous countries around the globe.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers recently took home the prestigious Global Icon Award, and delivered a show stopping performance at the MTV VMAs. Their No. 1 single “Black Summer” also won the award for Best Rock Video. This year, the band also garnered an MTV Europe Music Award nomination for Best Rock and scored three American Music Awards nominations for “Favorite Rock Artist,” “Favorite Rock Album” for Unlimited Love and “Favorite Rock Single” for “Black Summer.”

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 2023 NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES:

Wednesday, March 29 – Vancouver, British Columbia-BC Place

Saturday, April 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada-Allegiant Stadium

Thursday, April 6 – Fargo, North Dakota-FARGODOME

Saturday, April 8 – Minneapolis, Minneapolis-US Bank Stadium

Friday, April 14 – ���ϲ�����, New York-JMA Wireless Dome

Friday, May 12 – San Diego, California-Snap Dragon Stadium

Sunday, May 14 – Phoenix, Arizona-State Farm Stadium

Wednesday, May 17 – San Antonio, Texas-Alamodome

Friday, May 19 – Gulf Shores, Alabama-Hangout Music Festival

Thursday, May 25 – Houston, Texas-Minute Maid Park

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 2023 EUROPE TOUR DATES:

Sunday, June 18 – Landgraaf, NL-Pinkpop

Wednesday, June 21 – Warsaw, Poland-PGE Narodowy

Saturday, June 24 – Odense, DK-Tinderbox

Monday, June 26 – Mannheim, DE-Maimarktgelände

Friday, June 30 – Leuven, BE-Rock Wercther

Sunday, July 2 – Milan, IT -I-Days

Thursday, July 6 – Lisbon, PT-NOS Live

Saturday, July 8 – Madrid, ES-Mad Cool

Tuesday, July 11 – Lyon, FR-Groupama Stadium

Friday, July 14 – Vienna, AT-Ernst-Happel Stadion

Monday, July 17 – Carhaix, FR-Les Vieilles Charrues

Friday, July 21 – London, UK-Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Sunday, July 23 – Glasgow, UK-Hampden Park

Accepted forms of payment include all major credit cards, as well as Google Pay and Apple Pay. The transition follows the move to cashless payment options , which took place in the fall of 2021.

The change will also affect the University’s ���ϲ����� Stage lot on Irving Avenue. Stage visitors will first encounter the new system on Wednesday, Dec. 7, during that day’s showings of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid.”

Donations of new (and clean, nearly new) winter coats will be collected at the ���ϲ����� football game vs. Florida State on Saturday, Nov. 12, beginning at 6 p.m. ahead of an 8 p.m. kickoff in the JMA Wireless Dome. The game is also Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.

Bins will be placed at 11 points outside the JMA Wireless Dome to collect items, as well as at the Stars and Stripes tailgate at the John A. Lally Athletics Complex beginning at 5 p.m. Following the game, donations will be accepted at Hendricks Chapel from Nov. 13-18, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the Nancy Cantor Warehouse from Nov. 14-18, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for faculty, staff and students who wish to contribute to this effort.

Organizers are only asking for new or nearly new coats, and there is a particularly strong need in the community for children’s coats, as they tend to outgrow their outerwear each year.

“���ϲ����� is proud to once again partner with community agencies to help ensure our friends and neighbors have the warm coats they need this winter,” says Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, who helped establish the Operation Orange Warmup initiative on campus. “By doing this collection early in the giving season, we hope to make a meaningful impact in our community.”

Student volunteers from groups across the University will help with the collection effort, as well as with sorting and laundering donations.

Partner agencies include InterFaith Works, Catholic Charities and Hendricks Chapel. Collected items will be distributed by these organizations across Central New York. Members of the campus community who have a personal need for donated winter gear may contact Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or��chapel@syr.edu.

Through the generosity of Orange fans and the entire ���ϲ����� community, we can share the warmth with those in need this winter!

The celebration seeks to honor the life and legacy of individuals who exemplify the spirit, life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. yet have not received widespread recognition or been previously honored for their efforts. These individuals represent a direct expression of ���ϲ�����’s commitment to fostering and supporting a university welcoming to all.

If you know an individual who should be honored and celebrated, please consider nominating them for our 2023 celebration.

included the Institute of Technology at ���ϲ����� Central Varsity Football Team, ���ϲ����� community members, and ���ϲ����� faculty, students and staff.

Nominations may be made in any of the following categories:

• youth/teen from Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga or Cortland counties
• adult from Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga or Cortland counties
• currently enrolled student at ���ϲ����� or SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF)
• faculty or staff from ���ϲ����� or SUNY ESF

The Unsung Hero Award nominations are due by Wednesday, Dec.��14, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Nomination forms can be found .

The 2023��Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will take place on Jan.��22, 2023, in the JMA Wireless Dome. Further information will be announced in the coming weeks at��.

With questions regarding the Unsung Hero Awards, please contact Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu.

To allow for the new signage installation, the upper sidewalk on the west side of the JMA Dome (between the two sets of stairs), will be closed from Oct. 19 into December. The entire area will be fenced off. All pedestrians will be required to use the sidewalk along Irving Avenue during this closure. Accessible pathways will not be affected.

Delays in the proposed work may occur as a result of weather and/or unforeseen circumstances. In the event that there is a significant delay, Campus Planning, Design and Construction will issue revised information as soon as possible. Please contact Dave Warren at 315.632.5238 or dcwarren@syr.edu with any questions or concerns.

Here are ways campus community members can get involved and show support during DVAM.

‘Go Purple’ Office Decorating Contest

Offices and departments across campus are invited to decorate their spaces with information, facts and resources related to violence prevention. Purple decorations are encouraged. To participate, complete the by Friday, Oct. 14. Spaces will be judged beginning Oct. 24-27, with results announced on Friday, Oct. 28.

Clothesline Project

The is a visual display of T-shirts decorated with empowering messages and statistics by individuals impacted by interpersonal violence. The project will be on display in the atrium of the Schine Student Center from Oct. 17-21, serving as a visual exhibition to break the silence on dating and domestic violence and honor the strength of those impacted by interpersonal violence. Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc. is hosting a in Eggers 010 on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in support of the project, where Peer Educators Encouraging Healthy Relationships and Sexuality (PEEHRS) peer educators will be providing education on the Clothesline Project and DVAM.

Purple Thursday

Show support by wearing purple on Thursday, Oct. 20, for . Campus community members are encouraged to post photos wearing purple and sharing messages of support on Instagram with #SUGoesPurple.

Education Efforts and Workshops

Health Hubs, a signature program of the health promotion team in the Barnes Center, will pop up around campus to provide quick education and connection to resources regarding healthy relationships and interpersonal violence prevention. The Wellness Leadership Institute also has many opportunities to attend workshops about consent, relationships and other related topics. You can register through the

For more information about resources, education and reporting, visit the .

With questions about any of the events pertaining to Dating and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, please email Shannon Hefti.

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

Felisha Legette-Jack

Continuing its mission to amplify the voices of women and non-binary people in leadership roles at ���ϲ�����, the is pleased to invite faculty and staff to an Inspire leadership talk featuring women’s basketball head coach on Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 3 to 4 p.m.

Coach Legette-Jack will speak in the JMA Wireless Dome, followed by a WiL networking reception in Club 44 from 4 to 6 p.m. All community members, regardless of gender identity or expression, can participate in WiL programming.

Season Ticket Giveaway

In partnership with ���ϲ����� Athletics, WiL will also give away Orange women’s basketball season tickets to the first 100 people who for and attend the event by the RSVP deadline of Sept. 28.

About Legette-Jack

Felisha Legette-Jack is a 1989 graduate of ���ϲ����� and former Orange All-American. The ���ϲ����� native and 20-year collegiate head coach took the reins of the Orange women’s basketball program in March 2022. One of the all-time Orange greats, Legette-Jack returned to her hometown with more than 30 years of coaching experience. She spent the previous 10 years building the University at Buffalo’s women’s program into one of the perennial powers in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), leading the Bulls to four NCAA Tournaments, including the 2018 Sweet Sixteen.

Legette-Jack is the all-time winningest coach in Bulls history with a 202-115 record and four MAC Tournament Championships. During her career she has guided three different Division I programs to a combined 13 winning seasons, nine postseason berths and six 20-win seasons, and has accrued a 343-279 record. On Nov. 14, 2021, Legette-Jack’s jersey was retired to rafters of the JMA Dome, joining those of 15 men’s basketball and six football standouts who have received this honor. It marked the first time in ���ϲ����� history that a female student-athlete was recognized in this manner.

John will bring his up-tempo style of music and phenomenal piano skills to ���ϲ�����’s JMA Wireless Dome Saturday evening for one of his last shows in the country as the legendary musician’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour” roars on with a visit to ���ϲ�����.

Sir Elton John is playing the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, Sept. 10 as part of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will make his sixth visit to the City of ���ϲ����� and will entertain fans on campus for the third time. Previously, John, 75, played at the Dome in 1992, at the War Memorial in 1970, 1971 and 2000, and performed alongside fellow piano legend Billy Joel before a sold-out Dome crowd in 2001.

“It’s unbelievable for us to host Elton John on his farewell tour. He’s played some great shows here before, and he’s a performer who will put on a once-in-a-lifetime show for our people to see,” says Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala. “The attendance is great. We were their top-selling show in the country. Every time we release seats, which we’ve been doing because of slight modifications from the original manifest, they sell instantly. We’re going to be around 36,000 people for this show.”

The last time John visited upstate New York was a stop in Buffalo in 2018 and a performance in Albany in 2019, both part of “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour.” His ���ϲ����� performance marks the only time John’s farewell tour will be in the Central New York region.

“I’m going to go out in the biggest possible way, performing at my very best with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had, playing in places that have meant so much to me throughout my career. … I can’t wait to see you all on the road one last time. This has been an incredible tour so far, through the most amazing highs, and I look forward to making more wonderful memories with you at these final shows,” an excited John in June 2021.

The process of setting up for the show started almost immediately following the Orange football team’s 31-7 win over Louisville on Sept. 3.

On Labor Day, 22 tractor-trailer trucks entered the JMA Dome with the steel required to construct the stage where John will perform. All told, the tour stop will require 49 tractor-trailer trucks to erect the stage—“one of the biggest we’ve ever built,” according to Sala—and bring in the sounds, lights, merchandise and requisite power for John to put on his show.

“We do whatever we can to make the promoter feel comfortable. We hear that a lot, that our staff [make this] a very easy venue to work in and that they can’t wait to come back to ���ϲ�����,” Sala says.

Judging from the posted set lists from previous “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour” stops, fans of John can anticipate the dynamic performer to delight them with hits like “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time),” “Crocodile Rock,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Levon,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Candle in the Wind,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Your Song,” and more from his musical career.

To ensure everything runs smoothly, Sala urges fans without a JMA Dome parking pass to head to the Skytop parking lots on South Campus, where for $25. Free shuttle transportation is provided between the College Place shuttle drop-off and the Manley and Skytop parking lots starting at 4 p.m. Masks are optional for passengers��traveling on campus buses, trolleys and other forms of University-provided shared transportation.

All parking lots will open at 2 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., with John expected to take the stage at 8 p.m.

Illegal parking during games creates serious public safety risks to the neighborhood and to people attending the events.

���ϲ����� Police Officers working JMA Dome traffic management, as well as dedicated parking checkers, will work around campus and in University neighborhoods after kickoff to enforce parking regulations:

1. On city streets, vehicles that violate alternate side of the street parking requirements may be ticketed.
2. In Thornden Park, ���ϲ����� will place traffic barrels where parking is not allowed. Vehicles parked illegally in the park may also be ticketed.
3. Vehicles blocking driveways; using handicap parking without authorization; parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant; or preventing passage of public safety equipment may be towed.

Fines for illegal parking are:

1. Overtime at a meter: $40
2. No parking zone: $40
3. Blocking a fire hydrant: $75
4. Unauthorized handicap parking: $130

Attendees are encouraged to use University parking and private facilities in the area when attending JMA Dome events. For information, visit the .

The first 500 full-time, part-time or temporary faculty and staff with a faculty or staff ���ϲ����� I.D. to visit the University’s pregame Faculty and Staff Appreciation tent on the Shaw Quad will receive a game day gift and a $5 concession coupon.

A few days prior to the game, a drawing will be held to invite faculty and staff members to enjoy an enhanced game day experience. Those who have purchased tickets prior to Sept. 12 will be eligible for the drawing. Winners will be notified prior to game day.

Tickets

Tickets cost $10 apiece for University faculty and staff, their children and their guests (up to a limit of 10). Faculty and staff may , and tickets can be purchased until the day of the event.

Team Competition on the Quad

Join with other schools, colleges and administrative units for some friendly competition during ’Cuse on the Quad! Teams of three to five members are being recruited to join a short, bracket-style game against colleagues before kickoff at noon. To register a team, email Abby Lozon at aclozon@syr.edu with the following information:

• One team representative
• The school/college/administrative unit you’re representing
• Names of all team members

Teams will try to guess the most popular answers to a series of ’Cuse-themed questions, with winners receiving bragging rights and a prize.

Food Drive to Benefit the Salvation Army

On game day, the University’s Office of Community Engagement will collect non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army of ���ϲ�����’s emergency pantry as part of its Food Insecurity Awareness Week. Drop-off barrels will be placed at 11 locations approaching the JMA Dome that morning, including at the faculty and staff appreciation tent on the Quad. Volunteers for the Salvation Army will also collect monetary donations at various red kettles stationed around the JMA Dome.

Currently, the pantry’s most-needed items include:

• Pasta sauce (no glass jars, please)
• Rice
• Canned beans
• Canned fruit
• Juice (shelf-stable cartons or plastic)
• Oatmeal

Faculty and staff are encouraged to contribute to this cause. The Salvation Army’s food pantry has served more than 1,100 individuals in ���ϲ����� over the last month, providing families and individuals with enough food for three meals per day for five days.

Parking

University parking permits will be honored for free game day parking at the Skytop parking lot. For faculty and staff who do not already have University parking permits, a single, complimentary, one-time-use Skytop parking pass will be available for game day. These permits will be available for pickup on Thursday, Sept. 15, and Friday, Sept. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Office of Human Resources, Skytop Office Building, with proof of a Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day game ticket and a ���ϲ����� I.D.

Questions about Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day? Contact the HR Service Center at 315.443.4042 or send them an email. Questions about football tickets? Call the JMA Wireless Dome Box Office at 315.443.2121.

The University, in partnership with JMA Wireless, will install a cutting-edge, 5G private wireless network in select residence halls and academic buildings as part of a pilot program. Photo by Marilyn Hesler, staff photographer

“Technology is among the most rapidly evolving parts of our lives—professionally, personally and recreationally,” says Eric Sedore, interim vice president and chief information officer. “As our community’s needs and expectations change, it is imperative that we align our technology to meet our students, faculty and staff where they are. My colleagues in Information Technology Services [ITS] and I are looking forward to learning from this pilot program, assessing the feedback and applying key learnings to the future of technology on our campus.”

This new technology is being leveraged at various facilities across the United States, including on college campuses and at event facilities and private companies. The pilot program will help the University determine whether its users will broadly adopt and benefit from this technology.

“Given the ever-growing digital nature of teaching, living, learning and research at ���ϲ�����, now is the time to advance our technology infrastructure,” says Sedore. “I am confident the pilot will provide our community with the elevated experience provided by 5G wireless technology.”

Individuals selected to participate will receive a survey request from ITS to indicate their willingness to opt into the pilot program and identify the phone and laptop models they plan to use to connect to the on-campus network. ITS will monitor adoption rates and collect and assess feedback through the fall semester. The outcomes of the pilot, along with anticipated next steps, will be shared with the campus community in spring 2023.

It seems like only yesterday that McCartney was last in ���ϲ�����, playing before a sold-out crowd on Sept. 23, 2017. When McCartney concluded his three-plus hour performance that humid fall evening, he told the crowd that he’d see them the next time he toured.

Still performing before packed crowds at the age of 79, despite McCartney’s proclamation, tomorrow never knew whether the musical legend would stay true to his word. But five years later, the long and winding road will afford Beatles and Wings fans at least one more chance to get McCartney back into their lives, as McCartney and his talented band on the run return to ���ϲ����� Saturday night as part of McCartney’s Got Back tour.

Paul McCartney will play the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday evening, his second show in ���ϲ����� in the last five years. (Photo courtesy of MPL Communications Ltd./Photographer: MJ Kim)

Thanks to a little help from University Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala and his friends, fans of McCartney can come together and enjoy hits like “Live and Let Die,” “Hey Jude,” “All You Need is Love,” “A Day in the Life,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Let it Be” and more.

It certainly won’t be a hard day’s night for the more than 35,000 fans expected inside the JMA Wireless Dome, according to Sala.

“It’s fantastic, and I think the timing couldn’t be better. People are really wanting to get out and start experiencing live music again, and we’ve shown that these iconic performers really do sell tickets. The people in the City of ���ϲ����� and the surrounding communities really support these acts. He’s such a legend. How many more chances are you going to get in ���ϲ����� to see somebody of this magnitude?” says Sala.

Of the 13 cities on tour, ���ϲ����� boasts the smallest population, but after the success of the 2017 McCartney tour stop, Sala said ���ϲ����� is a desirable destination for McCartney, Elton John and other prominent performers.

Planning for the show began eight months ago, when, according to Sala, his contact with McCartney’s tour called him up wondering if ���ϲ����� was ready to bring Sir Paul back to the Salt City.

Unlike a typical ���ϲ����� football or basketball game, Sala says McCartney’s concert requires more power, with Sala bringing in temporary power sources to support the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s performance. Combined with the added power to the east and west end zones, ���ϲ����� is able to provide a “really big show with house power, which is very unusual for these shows,” according to Sala.

The performance requires more than 250 volunteers, with many of them having volunteered at past shows on campus going back to the 1980s.

The process of setting up for the show takes place the week of the concert. Starting on Saturday, McCartney’s tractor-trailer tour trucks began entering the JMA Dome with the required equipment, including the stage where McCartney will perform.

“We do whatever we can to make the promoter feel comfortable. We hear that a lot, that our staff [make this] a very easy venue to work in, that they can’t wait to come back to ���ϲ�����,” Sala says.

With more than 35,000 people expected for the concert, this is expected to be the biggest traffic deployment in ���ϲ����� in at least the last four to five years, according to Sala. Thanks to partnerships with the City of ���ϲ����� and the ���ϲ����� Police Department’s traffic detail, Sala is confident the parking process will proceed smoothly.

He also urges fans without a JMA Dome parking pass to head to the on South Campus, where parking is available for $25. Free shuttle transportation is provided between the College Place shuttle drop-off and the Manley and Skytop parking lots. Regardless of vaccination status and/or the COVID-19 level on campus, individuals are required by New York State law to wear a mask on public transit (including the ���ϲ����� Shuttle).

All parking lots will open at 2 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., with McCartney expected to take the stage at 8 p.m.

The Got Back tour represents McCartney’s first full-fledged tour since he concluded his Freshen Up tour in July 2019.

“The Paul McCartney live experience is everything any music lover could ever want from a rock show: Hours of the greatest moments from the last 60 years of music—dozens of songs from Paul’s solo, Wings and of course Beatles catalogues that have formed the soundtracks of our lives,” says Steve Martin, president of the music public relations firm, nasty little man. “A Paul McCartney concert is never anything short of life-changing.”

Otto helps usher in the JMA Wireless Dome era.

Home to countless athletic competitions, five Orange teams, some of the most memorable moments in collegiate sports history and cherished University traditions.

Host to Commencement, iconic performers, family-friendly entertainment, high school athletic events and graduations for local districts, and even serving as a temporary classroom and testing center amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The University’s on-campus stadium may be “just a building”—but for the hundreds of thousands of students, athletes, fans, alumni and employees who have played, performed, cheered, made friends and made history under its roof, it is part of the fabric of this University and the ���ϲ����� community at large.

Last week, the University announced that JMA Wireless, a global leader in the wireless industry and 5G technology headquartered in ���ϲ�����, has entered a 10-year naming rights partnership, ending the 40-year legacy of the Carrier Dome name and ushering in the JMA Wireless Dome era (or JMA Dome for short).

Chancellor Kent Syverud, JMA Wireless Founder and CEO John Mezzalingua, Director of Athletics John Wildhack, Women’s Basketball Coach Felisha Legette-Jack and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala spoke at a press event May 19 about the continuing transformation of the JMA Dome, the exhilarating partnership between two organizations committed to the Central New York region, and how it will always be “Dome Sweet Dome.”

Left to right: Director of Athletics John Wildhack, JMA Wireless Founder and CEO John Mezzalingua, Women’s Basketball Coach Felisha Legette-Jack, Chancellor Kent Syverud and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala

Here are five takeaways from the event.

1. The technology transformation will be unlike anything we’ve seen before.

As the company that was recently tapped to help prepare SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and host of Super Bowl LVI, with 5G technology, JMA has outfitted venues with some of the most advanced technology available. According to Mezzalingua, “There’s a revolution brewing in sports and 5G is at the heart of it.” Connectivity enhancements within the JMA Dome will help optimize performance (e.g., augmented reality sensors; advanced coaching tools; and ultra-fast communication between players and coaches) and create an elite fan experience that seamlessly integrates the in-person experience with fans’ digital worlds. “This partnership will give the JMA Dome the first and most advanced 5G network of any collegiate stadium in the world,” Mezzalingua said. “It will not only transform the experiences of fans, players and coaches, but it has the potential to supercharge the competitiveness of ���ϲ����� and create excellence at the level that we all expect.”

2. Our Athletics program will benefit tremendously from this partnership and ongoing investments in the building.

“This announcement, combined with the upcoming renovations to the JMA Dome, sends a very clear message about the future,” Wildhack said. “���ϲ����� is committed to its athletics program. We are committed to providing the best experience, competitively and academically, for our student-athletes to compete successfully in the ACC and on a national level.” Or as Coach Legette-Jack put it, “We’re coming and we’re putting you on notice right now, we’re ready to go!”

3. The entire Central New York community will also get a boost.

In addition to being the venue for hundreds of athletic competitions, the JMA Dome will continue to be a hub of activity and catalyst for economic impact for the greater ���ϲ����� community. Chancellor Syverud shared that the Dome brings upwards of 935,000 visitors and more than $240 million in economic activity to the Central New York region each year. “We think these improvements will make it one of the most attractive venues in the world for large crowds to attend, not just for sporting events but for many types of competitions and concerts,” Chancellor Syverud said. “I’ve learned to be very careful in making predictions, but we expect the economic impact to the region to grow significantly with these enhancements.”

4. The University and JMA Wireless both have deep roots in and an unwavering commitment to ���ϲ�����.

The University has long prioritized a mutually beneficial relationship with the City of ���ϲ����� and its surrounding areas—and JMA Wireless is also firmly rooted in ���ϲ�����, founded locally by Central New York native Mezzalingua a decade ago. Earlier this year, the company opened its new campus and the first U.S.-owned 5G manufacturing facility on the city’s South Side. “We hope to see this as just the beginning of a revitalization of Central New York as a national tech hub,” said Mezzalingua. Chancellor Syverud thanked the people of ���ϲ����� and Central New York, saying, “Our communities have never been more intertwined and aligned than they are right now. The JMA Dome is as much a part of ���ϲ����� and Central New York as it is a part of our campus.

5. The historic building will never lose ‘that special feeling.’

“I’ve seen everything that’s happened in this Dome, big and small, exciting, heartbreaking, thrilling, historic,” said Sala. “When we first opened the doors of this building in 1980, I don’t think any of us imagined how special, how sacred, how iconic this venue would become.” Whether you’re there to watch one of your favorite musicians bring down the house, sway and sing the alma mater with friends at Commencement, or cheer on the football team alongside 35,000 of your closest friends, the JMA Dome will continue to deliver those uniquely Orange experiences—now with a new name, a transformative partner, and more power, speed and connectivity than ever before.

���ϲ����� and JMA Wireless announced a 10-year partnership for naming rights of the University’s iconic on-campus stadium.

“This is an exciting moment for ���ϲ�����, ���ϲ����� Athletics and the broader Central New York community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “With JMA Wireless as our new naming partner, our campus community, student-athletes and fans alike can expect a world-class event experience, unlike anything they’ve ever seen before at ���ϲ�����. I am grateful to JMA Founder and CEO John Mezzalingua for his partnership and vision. His investment in the City of ���ϲ����� and Central New York will pay dividends for years to come in the form of economic vitality, career opportunities for local residents and cutting-edge technology innovation taking place in our region. We share JMA’s commitment to the City of ���ϲ����� and Central New York and look forward to seeing the positive impact our partnership will have on our local community.”

JMA, a global leader in 5G wireless technology, continues to experience tremendous growth and was recently tapped to provide the 5G equipment for the SoFi Stadium, the state-of-the-art stadium located in Inglewood, California, that hosted Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The 10-year-old company is expanding its presence with the opening of its new 5G campus in the City of ���ϲ�����, located at the former Coyne Textile building on Cortland Avenue in the city’s South Side. Mezzalingua, a native of Central New York, is proud of the role his company will play in transforming the stadium experience for the Orange community.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for the Dome, ���ϲ����� and JMA,” says Mezzalingua. “Our company’s ties to the city and University run deep. I remember when ���ϲ����� redefined college athletics with the Dome, a unique venue that ushered in a period of unprecedented success for ���ϲ����� sports. With this partnership, we have an opportunity to lead once again. The Dome will have the most advanced 5G network of any collegiate stadium, connecting fans as never before. It will also enable powerful new augmented reality training systems, advanced coaching tools and sensor-based performance optimization to attract elite athletes and help ���ϲ����� win. The JMA Dome has an incredibly bright future ahead, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”

In April, ���ϲ����� announced that after a 40-year partnership, Carrier and the University came to an agreement to allow ���ϲ����� to rename its stadium. Carrier’s historic 1979 gift represented the first naming agreement for a major college sports stadium and one of the first in all of sports. Also in April, the University announced it would embark on the next phase of its work to enhance, elevate and expand the stadium experience.

This latest phase of renovations will build on the recently completed $118 million transformation of the Dome, funded entirely by the University and private philanthropy. These renovations, which included a new fixed roof, a vertically hung scoreboard—the largest in college sports, the installation of air conditioning and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, have improved the visitor experience and further positioned the venue and Central New York to compete nationally for large concerts, events and NCAA regional competitions.

John Wildhack, director of athletics, says the Dome, the only collegiate sports venue in the country that hosts five athletic programs, will benefit tremendously from JMA’s involvement. Wildhack is especially pleased that fans will experience an elevated in-game experience.

“Our fans have unmatched passion for all things Orange and they want to show that by sharing their experiences in real-time across their social media channels. They also want to be able to check the scores of other games, text their fellow fans and scroll through relevant content. This can be seamlessly achieved with access to 5G capabilities and the multimedia services that will be available under the Dome roof,” says Wildhack. “Not only does this add to the excitement of participating in sporting events, being at the forefront of athletics in this way helps us attract and recruit the finest scholar-athletes because it shows our commitment to the short- and long-term success of our program.”

In addition to upgrading the entire digital infrastructure, the next phase of renovations includes a complete reseating of the entire venue and the construction of an on-site and publicly accessible event facility.

“I’ve been here since the Dome was first envisioned and conceived, and never have I been so excited for what the future holds,” says Pete Sala, vice president and chief campus facilities officer. “With JMA Wireless’ support and with our other renovation partners, the legacy of the unique and special nature of the Dome is cemented forever.”

For more than 40 years, the Dome has served as a catalyst for economic activity benefiting the City of ���ϲ�����, Onondaga County and the broader Central New York region. Each year, more than 935,000 visitors attend events at the Dome, including concerts, college and professional athletic competitions, and family entertainment. The Dome, a year-round venue, also hosts local and statewide high school sports events, band competitions, and other community-focused activities. Dome events and operations contribute more than $240 million in income to the Central New York economy and support more than 5,000 local jobs.

As the University previously announced, as part of the upcoming renovations, ���ϲ����� will take additional action to further spur economic activity in Central New York and support area residents and communities. These include donating the removed bench seating, introducing a local apprenticeship program and providing cost-free use of the facility for emergency services training.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About JMA Wireless

A disruptive force in the wireless industry, JMA is restoring U.S. leadership in network technology at a critical time in the transition to 5G. With its global headquarters in ���ϲ�����, New York, JMA makes the world’s most advanced software-based 5G platform, which it designs, codes and manufactures in the United States. JMA’s technology—most notably a revolutionary software solution called XRAN—is ushering in a new era of innovation and connectivity for businesses, workers and consumers. For more information, visit jmawireless.com.

“With Carrier’s cooperation, we will seek to rename our stadium while we continue our work to transform the experience for our students, faculty, staff, fans and Central New York community,” says John Wildhack, director of athletics. “Without Carrier’s generosity and longstanding support, completion of the Carrier Dome would not have been possible, nor would the decades of iconic sports moments and Central New York memories. We are eternally grateful for the tremendous impact Carrier has had on Orange Athletics, the ���ϲ����� community and the Orange fan base.”

While ���ϲ����� considers the future identity of the stadium, it will also embark on the next phase of its work to enhance, elevate and expand the stadium experience. This includes a complete reseating, a new publicly accessible event facility and an upgrade of the entire digital infrastructure. The University will begin work later this spring with some of it scheduled to be complete as early as September 2022. The University continues to work closely with the appropriate state and local agencies to ensure enhancements to the stadium align with and support the state and county’s economic development priorities and processes.

“���ϲ����� is proud of the important role the Dome plays in the Central New York community and grateful for its longstanding relationship with Carrier,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The Dome has been an iconic sports and entertainment venue for more than 40 years. These new enhancements will generate new and additional economic activity in Central New York and continue the Dome’s reputation as one of the top collegiate venues for generations to come.”

The latest phase of renovations builds on the recently completed $118 million transformation of the Dome funded entirely by the University and private philanthropy without state or federal funding. Upcoming renovations include:

• Reseating the entire venue: The University will transition all seating from bench to individual/fixed seating. The new seating, a longtime request of area fans, will not only improve comfort, but will also enhance accessibility for patrons with disabilities. The Dome’s existing bench-style seating will be salvaged and made freely available to high school stadiums and venues across New York state.
• Build an on-site and publicly accessible event facility: The University will design and construct a roughly 25,000-square-foot addition on the east end of the Dome to infill the space between the Dome and the Barnes Center at The Arch. This new space will provide an improved fan experience, expanded event and gathering space, and upgraded accessibility. This addition will make the Dome more competitive with other peer venues across the United States.
• Upgrading the Dome’s digital infrastructure: The University will elevate the fan experience in the Dome by establishing the most modern connectivity offerings for fans and other users of the Dome.

The Dome is a year-round venue that hosts some of the world’s top performers, college and professional athletic competitions, and the very best in family entertainment. It welcomes more than 935,000 visitors each year, contributes more than $240 million in income to the Central New York economy and supports more than 5,000 local jobs. Once complete, these enhancements are projected to generate nearly $217 million in new travel and tourism spending across Central New York between 2022-25.

“���ϲ����� and the Dome are central to the economic, cultural and social well-being of Central New York,” says Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation J. Michael Haynie. “Combined with the University’s $118 million transformation, the Dome will be poised to be the go-to destination for athletic, entertainment, academic and other community events and activities. Accelerating this project will not only expedite these exciting enhancements, but also elevate and increase economic opportunity in Central New York.”

Pete Sala, vice president and chief campus facilities officer, says he and his team are looking forward to getting started on this next phase. He adds that he has received positive feedback from patrons on the work to date, who have expressed equal excitement for what’s to come.

“We have the best fans and patrons who constantly go out of their way to share feedback, both positive and constructive,” says Sala. “We love providing them with the best experience possible and are confident this next round of renovations will have a significant impact on the fan experience. We are eager to get started and even more excited to get this work complete.”

To further cultivate a vibrant, prosperous and economically thriving community, as part of this next phase, ���ϲ����� will also:

• introduce a local apprenticeship program, in partnership with trade unions, to provide career skills training in the trades, including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fabrication;
• provide cost-free use of the facility to law enforcement, firefighter and disaster response training conducted by New York State or any local jurisdiction/agency for a period of 10 years;
• implement a procurement and construction process that prioritizes local and New York state underrepresented businesses at a level that meets or exceeds the state’s own procurement goals;
• ensure that events at the Dome remain affordable and accessible to members of our Central New York community; and
• make the bench seating removed from the Dome freely available to school districts throughout the state, as an opportunity to reduce costs associated with ongoing or planned renovations of school facilities or stadiums.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors��closes��the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together,��we’re��a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

“It’s exciting to bring someone with Michael’s background to campus,” said Jennifer Uryniak, interim director of Auxiliary Services. “We want our game-day experience to be second to none, so we look forward to hearing his recommendations as we move forward on our planned renovations.”

The Dome is in the early stages of a multiyear renovation, with a new fixed roof, a vertically hung scoreboard, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, improved accessibility and added Wi-Fi capabilities on tap for fans beginning in fall 2020.

Uryniak and her staff are looking ahead to fall 2022, when the stadium’s new concessions spaces are revealed. They are turning to Bekolay to frame out and guide the planned improvements. The approach is holistic, according to Uryniak, who says everything from the physical footprint of the concessions stands to the number of staff behind the counters is under scrutiny.

“We’re constantly hiring new staff to fill positions at concessions and merchandise stands,” said Mark Tewksbury, director of residential dining and Dome operations. “We know it will be beneficial to set a baseline, to hear from our fans to see what level of customer service they need.”

Bekolay has worked with some of the world’s most popular sports franchises, including the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Manchester City Football Club in the English Premier League. Venue Hospitality Solutions, based out of Miami, will bring more than 35 years of experience in the hospitality business as they assess ���ϲ�����’s stadium experience.

One of the last of its kind, the Dome’s roof will be replaced this year as part of a planned $118 million renovation. The building’s current design poses many challenges for an event like this past weekend’s live motorsport show, Monster Jam, operated by FELD Entertainment. “My staff works crazy hours that week [of Monster Jam preparation]. There’s not much sleep,” says Pete Sala, vice president and chief campus facilities officer. Unlike at other venues, tons of dirt, merchandise, monster trucks, payloaders, bulldozers and excavators enter the Dome systematically to avoid depressurization.

Once the plastic lining is in place, plywood is installed. On top of that comes the dirt.

It takes the effort of countless staff to prepare the Dome to host 38,000 Monster Jam fans. Sala started working at the Dome part-time when it opened in 1980. He took over as managing director in 2010, and Monster Jam was the first event he booked. “They had been driving us crazy to get in here,” Sala says. “It was something I always wanted to do. And I just thought it was really cool how the whole process went on.”

Representatives from FELD Entertainment visited campus and booked the first show in 2011. That inaugural setup included the 10,000-pound, 12-foot-wide trucks driving up the hill outside of the Dome. That had to change after the fall 2014 opening of Dineen Hall. The new rules required a custom-built towing mechanism. That’s a small concession when compared to the incredible amount of time it takes to prep the Dome for show time.

Preparations for Monster Jam begin when heavy equipment arrives at the Dome on the Monday before. Eleven members of the Dome staff cover the entire Dome floor with 40-foot by 100-foot sheets of plastic. Then forklifts bring in the first load of materials through the airlock—5,500 sheets of 3/4-inch plywood; 50 plywood sheets per pallet. The Dome staff lays the sheets on the floor by hand.

“We’re known as one the most efficient and fastest crews in the country when it comes to covering the turf. So that process literally takes a couple hours, which normally takes eight to ten at other venues,” Sala explains.

A dump truck waits in the airlock between the outside overhead door and the overhead door leading into the arena.

Elsewhere in the Dome, any carpeted area is covered in plastic. This keeps the offices as dirt free as possible. “When you walk out on that dirt, you carry it everywhere you go,” Sala says.

Next, on Tuesday before the event, a tractor trailer from FELD entertainment arrives at the Dome with all of the merchandise that will be sold at the event. Mark Tewksbury, director of residence dining and Dome operations, is responsible for organizing and cataloging all the commemorative T-shirts, cups, toys and posters that will be sold.

Tewksbury has also improved the process for loading in the merchandise over the years, based on his experience with the air-supported roof. “The Tuesday before, I request the trucks are here to unload. If I wait any longer, once they start bringing dirt in, I can’t come through that overhead door when they have the overhead door into the arena open.

“We didn’t know that Year One. It took me the better part of the day just to get the merchandise in the building,” Tewksbury recalls. “Because, let’s face it, the dirt was more important than T-shirts, you know.” The first experience with Monster Jam forced Tewksbury to meticulously plan every pallet being moved into the Dome to be in sync with dirt being brought into the airlock.

Six to eight staff members receive the shipment from FELD. In addition to stocking several concessions stands located throughout the concourse, Club 44 is converted into a concessions space. “We’ll do probably 20 percent of our sales just out of that one store,” Tewksbury says. He feels FELD entertainment has built a great relationship with Central New York fans. They have an opportunity to meet the drivers, touch the trucks and get their pictures taken at a “Pit Party” held before the event.

After the show, Tewksbury and a few of his management staff close down the concessions and leave around 4 a.m.

Merchandise is unloaded for Monster Jam concessions stands.

“The nice thing about the crew here is they’re really dedicated,” Tewksbury says. “I have never had to tell anyone we’re staying late. They know, and they do it. This whole crew knows it’s part of the gig.

“It’s amazing how hard everybody works to pull this event off, because it’s so different from what we do day in and day out,” he says.

Loading in the dirt begins on Wednesday before the show. “What’s challenging about an air-supported facility is that we have an airlock that two dump trucks can fit in at a time,” Sala says. About 275 to 300 loads of dirt are needed to build the track and jumps. The load-in process takes place over two days. “It’s not like you can have 50 trucks. Because they’re going to be in line waiting to get in, and it’s very inefficient,” explains Sala. At first, only two trucks are loaded and sent to the site. And as the process continues, up to 10 trucks are used in a constant rotation.

The dirt has been recycled several times. It is kept in a large pile at Skytop. The dirt is composed mainly of clay and comes from the Baldwinsville area. Finding the right dirt was another refinement of the process over the years. “We had years where it was not the best. We had to add sand and sawdust to it,” Sala says. “So having it and knowing it’s right there a mile away makes us a very attractive venue.”

In addition to the dirt, the event uses wrecked cars as part of the track. “There’s typically anywhere from 10 to 15 crushed cars that come from a local car crusher guy,” Sala says. A crew of track specialists from FELD Entertainment builds Monster Jam’s jumps and straight-a-ways. “All they do is build these tracks. Every track is different,” says Sala.

“Wednesday is a very long day with the dirt. They try to be done by seven o’clock or eight o’clock at night,” says Sala. “But my staff is here much later than that.”

Saturday arrives, with everything in place and the event ready to begin.

By Thursday, the Dome is filled with dirt and representatives from FELD Entertainment polishing the course.

The Pit Party is Friday and Saturday. Groups like the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts are invited to attend. Those fans need a place to park, and that’s where Parking Services begins its role. Fans are asked to park at the lots near Manley Field House, so Parking Services orders buses to shuttle to and from the Dome.

Outside of concerts, this is the largest number of buses that are ordered on campus all year, says Dee Bailey, Parking Services associate director of field operations and events. Much like Sala and Tewksbury, Bailey has improved her process over the years. “I learned a lot after the first year. That first time I did not have enough buses, and that was not going to happen again,” she says.

Bailey looks at data like presales and orders the appropriate number of buses from Centro. Parking Services also assists with designating parking for the Monster Trucks and helping control traffic during the dirt load-in. About 75-80 parking staff are on duty at the event. It is a lot of work, but Bailey sees the positive side.

“I think we have an amazing team at the Dome, and I love working with them all,” Bailey says. “A lot of really nice folks go to this event, and I love watching the kids. That is the fun part of the whole event.”

On Saturday, the gates open in the early afternoon. Fans attend the Pit Party, and many stay at the Dome for the majority of the day. “The DARE group from the ���ϲ����� Police Department does an amazing job of distributing tickets and promoting involvement with our youth,” says Sala. “They’re a big player in this.”

Time for some monster truck fun.

Air quality is maintained despite the huge qualities of dirt. “We don’t use any return air in the building. All the air that comes into the building is brought in from the outside. And all the return air dampers are shut,” says Sala. “We double filter all of our air handlers. Double filter everything.”

The levels of carbon monoxide are monitored by the ���ϲ����� Fire Department during the show to ensure proper ventilation. “I have a great relationship with the city fire department,” Sala says. “They play a big role in this event.”

After the show ends, the facility is once again transformed by the Dome staff. “And by six o’clock, seven o’clock in the morning, it’s just amazing what’s not in the building anymore,” says Sala. This weekend’s event concluded shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday, and the crew worked through the night to prepare the Dome for a Spring Reception.

“The crew that we have here is amazing. That goes without saying for everything we do here,” he says. “The group of people that work here are probably some of the most dedicated people on this campus.”

Sala says it’s not uncommon for his staff to each work around 100 hours during the week of Monster Jam. In addition to University staff, part-time student employees help out. “The reason this building functions the way that it does is because of our ability to access a labor pool that is as dedicated as we are,” says Sala.

Tim Grover, a Dome staff member, started work at 7 a.m. Saturday, placing barrels on Harrison and Walnut streets to help manage parking. The Dome staff was then sent home briefly in the afternoon to rest and prepare for the event. Grover came back to work to breakdown the Pit Party at 4 p.m. and was still working at noon on Sunday, breaking down the temporary fencing erected around the Stadium Lot that hosted the monster trucks. “We’ve been running multiple shifts and just cranking,” he said.

Though this will be the last year the Dome will be pressurized, the enormous effort that goes into events like Monster Jam bringing together ���ϲ����� and the surrounding community will not change. It creates a microcosm of the spirit of service that is found everywhere on campus.

“The Dome is a city,” says Sala. “You’ve got all these city police and city firemen here that are all very, very well trained. And our Public Safety staff plays a huge role. So from concessions right straight through, we run a city. We really do.”

Yoga expert Dara Harper will guide participants through a session focusing on mindfulness, relaxation and harmony. The session is free and people of all levels of experience are welcome.

Those attending should bring a water bottle and a yoga mat (or towel), and should wear comfortable clothes.

Gate E will open at 10:30 p.m., and valid SUID is required for entrance into the Dome. Participants requiring first-floor access should enter through Stadium Control, located under Gate B.

For more information, contact Syeisha Byrd, director of engagement programs at Hendricks Chapel, at smbyrd@syr.edu or visit .

At Recreation Nights at the Dome, the turf area will be available to students for open recreation play. Students can check out footballs, soccer balls and Frisbees for free to use on the turf.

“We are excited to be continuing Recreation Nights at the Dome in partnership with the Carrier Dome, after a successful pilot with Student Association last year. Working collaboratively with the Carrier Dome staff, we are able to give students the access and opportunity to participate in recreational activities in the Dome. We encourage students to come out and enjoy it,” says Aaron Knighton, assistant director of Late Night Programming and Events in Recreation Services.

Students coming to Recreation Nights at the Dome must bring their valid SUID and enter through Stadium Control at the Dome, which is at Gate B across from Sadler Hall. Students must wear tennis shoes and cannot bring in food or drink.

For information about Open Recreation Nights at the Dome, including activities and tournament offerings, check on the and follow @BeWellSU on , and .

An educational period for fans to learn about and adjust to the new Clear Bag Policy will begin with the first Orange football game on Sept. 8 and continue through the first three home games. The Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for all ���ϲ����� Athletics events and specified other special events at the Carrier Dome beginning Oct. 6, 2018.

Fans will be able to carry one of the following style and size bag at stadium gates:

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”

— OR —

• One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar).

In addition, small clutch bags for personal items, approximately the size of a hand (4.5” x 6.5”), with or without a handle or strap, diaper bags (with child) and medically necessary items may be carried into the stadium along with one of the clear bag options, after proper inspection. Seat cushions and seat back chairs are permitted; however, they cannot have pockets, zippers or be in their own carrying bag.

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: backpacks, binocular cases, briefcases, camera cases, cinch bags, computer bags, fanny packs, printed pattern plastic bags, tinted plastic bags, oversize totes, mesh bags, large purses, or any bag larger than the permissible size. Prohibited items must be returned to the owner’s vehicle or discarded.

All season ticket holders for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s lacrosse will receive one approved clear plastic tote per two tickets. Approved clear tote bags will be available for purchase at all ���ϲ����� merchandise locations on the Shaw Quad and inside the Carrier Dome, as well as at the SU Bookstore for $3.

Walkthrough metal detectors will be in place at all Carrier Dome entry gates beginning with the Orange football game on Sept. 8. Fans will be asked to present cell phones, cameras and other large metal objects to the Carrier Dome Event Staff as they approach the front of the line. Fans will not need to remove keys, loose change, wallet, jackets or belts.

“We are committed to providing a secure environment for our fans,” says SU Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “The new Clear Bag Policy will enable us to deliver a better and quicker experience at the gates and also provide a safer environment. We appreciate our fans’ cooperation.”

“We’ve done a considerable amount of research looking at collegiate, professional sports and other public event venues across the country. Clear bags and walkthrough metal detectors are common safety practices,” says SU Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala. “We think after a relatively short period of adjustment, Dome visitors will embrace the use of the clear bags. And the metal detectors will be barely more noticeable than walking through a doorway.”

Working personnel, including media, will continue to enter the Carrier Dome through designated gates where they will be subject to screening and bag inspections already in effect.

For additional information, go to .

An artist’s rendering of the exterior of the stadium

A new fixed roof, a vertically hung scoreboard, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, improved accessibility and added Wi-Fi capabilities are just a handful of features visitors to ���ϲ�����’s stadium will experience beginning in fall 2020. The $118 million investment, authorized by the Board of Trustees, will enable the University to create a new stadium experience for students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans alike. Today’s announcement represents the next step in advancing the $255 million West Campus transformation strategy the University first announced on May 16, 2016.

“This is a great day for ���ϲ����� as we take a significant step in advancing the goals contained in our Campus Framework, a 20-year roadmap designed to align our vision and mission with our physical space,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Creating a new stadium experience is a key element to supporting a vibrant and diverse campus community. I am excited for our students—undergraduate and graduate—who will receive their degrees in front of their families and friends, for the student-athletes who will compete in this space and for the thousands of individuals who will visit our campus for athletic events, concerts and other activities.”

The decision to move forward with this investment follows a comprehensive, multi-year review and assessment process. Over the last two years, members of the Board of Trustees, University leaders and other campus constituents have explored options for the future of an on-campus stadium, particularly as it relates to replacing the aging roof.

Since the University announced the Campus Framework in 2016, several initiatives that advance academic excellence and the student experience have been prioritized. Those priority initiatives have included more than $27 million in accessibility updates, classroom upgrades, learning technology enhancements and robust improvements to residence halls. The University has also recently begun work on two signature projects: the Barnes Center at The Arch, a new state-of-the-art student-focused health and wellness complex that is a key component of transforming the West Campus, and the National Veterans Resource Center, which will allow the University to fulfill its promise of being the best place for veterans.

“In partnership with academic leaders, in particular the deans of the schools and colleges, we have made tremendous headway on several key initiatives over the last two years,” says Amir Rahnamay-Azar, senior vice president and chief financial officer. “There is still more work to do. Our chief focus—both operationally and strategically—remains prioritizing initiatives that advance academic excellence, enhance the student experience and elevate our global research portfolio.”

As part of the transformation, the University will invest more than $6 million in comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-related accessibility upgrades. Among the improvements being made are a new accessible entrance, updating the current elevator to be ADA-compliant, five ADA electric door operators, the installation of closed captioning software and the addition of accessible seating, as well as other accessibility updates.

“I am grateful that creating a space that all members of our campus community, as well as visitors, can safely and comfortably access is the University’s utmost priority,” says Diane Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center, co-chair of the Council on Diversity and Inclusion and a member of the University’s Campus Facilities Advisory Board. “I am confident that with collaborative engagement with members of our disability community, most significantly our students, careful design and thoughtful construction, all students, faculty, staff and fans can enjoy the venue.”

Other new features, designed to enhance the experience for all visitors that will be part of phase one include the installation of air conditioning, new accessible restrooms and new concessions space. These features are expected to be completed by fall 2022.

“Replacing the aging roof is really just the tip of the iceberg,” says Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer in the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services. “The visitor experience will be completely transformed. From the enhanced natural lighting in the facility to the ease at which the scoreboard can be viewed, from the new lighting and sound systems to the added restrooms and concessions, our visitors can expect nothing short of a first-class experience. My team and I are eager to get this project underway and we look forward to providing our visitors an experience unlike anything they’ve had on our campus before.”

John Wildhack ’80, director of athletics, says today’s announcement will be well received by many, including fans, current student-athletes and most definitely prospective student-athletes. “As the only stadium in the country that is home to five sports, including two women’s sports, this transformation is really a game-changer for ���ϲ����� athletics. The transformed facility will afford our coaches and athletics staff the tools necessary to continue attracting student-athletes who perform as well in their academics as they do in their respective sports. I am especially thankful that the University will work closely with our department to limit disruption to our home athletic events. Though we’re still working through a timeline, we are hopeful that the impact on our teams will be minimal. ”

Jim Boeheim, head men’s basketball coach says, “The results of this investment are going to make the ���ϲ����� game experience even better for our fans and our players. The new construction will solidify our home court’s reputation as one of the top venues in college basketball.”

Head Football Coach Dino Babers says he is pleased the University is maintaining one of the many elements that first attracted him to ���ϲ�����: an indoor, controlled environment.

“Everyone in our program is ecstatic about the University’s commitment to ensuring our student-athletes and fans have the best experience possible while playing and watching sports in one of the most electrifying spaces in college athletics,” says Babers.

Quentin Hillsman, head women’s basketball coach says, “The last several seasons, and in particular our historic run to the national championship game, have been among the most exciting since I began coaching the game of basketball. Our program only continues to get stronger, and this upgraded facility will help our recruiting efforts, improve our performance on the court and draw more fans than ever before.”

Leaders in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience say student-athletes are not the only group who will be excited by the latest Campus Framework announcement. In fact, Maurice Harris, dean of undergraduate admissions, says the campus transformation has already had tremendous impact on the University’s effort to recruit and retain a diversely talented student body.

“Every year, we host campus tours and admissions events for more than 30,000 prospective students and their families at ���ϲ�����. This project, combined with other Campus Framework initiatives, will continue to positively impact our recruiting efforts. I am already seeing evidence that these initiatives are allowing us to attract and enroll high-achieving students interested in pursuing a world-class education in the geographic heart of New York State.”

As construction gets underway on phase one initiatives, the University will begin scoping out potential phase two enhancements. In particular, the University is exploring ways to redefine the stadium’s footprint by connecting it—via an enclosed pedestrian thruway—to Archbold Gymnasium, ultimately creating a seamless navigational experience between the two highly visited spaces.

Be sure to visit for progress updates, photos and more.

About ���ϲ�����

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

Every Monday in April (9, 16, 23, 30), the Dome will be open to students for Recreation Nights at the Dome from 8 p.m.-midnight.

At Recreation Nights at the Dome, the turf area will be available to students for open recreation play. To bring the fun, students can check out footballs, soccer balls and Frisbees for free to use on the turf. In addition to open recreation opportunities, there will be special tournaments.

Currently, there are two tournaments planned. On Monday, April 23, Recreation Services is hosting an Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. For more information and to register, access the . On Monday, April 30, there will be a Knockerball inflatable sphere soccer tournament. There is no registration required for this tournament; students are invited to stop in and play. While tournament play is occurring, students are still able to use the turf for open recreation.

Recreation Nights at the Dome started as an idea from James Franco ’18, president of Student Association. Through collaboration between Student Association, Carrier Dome staff, Recreation Services and the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience, this idea is now reality.

“Student Association is beyond excited that the University listened to our idea that will help create an unsurpassed student experience and make SU unique,” says Franco. “As our long winter continues,��Recreation Nights at the Dome will essentially provide an indoor park environment for students to participate in a wide range of activities or just hang out with others in a spectacular space.”

“With the great support from the Carrier Dome staff, we are excited to be able to work with Student Association and other campus partners to help provide students with a fun and uniquely ���ϲ����� recreational opportunity,” says Matt Hackett, director of Recreation Services.

Students coming to Recreation Nights at the Dome must bring their valid SU I.D. and enter through Stadium Control at the Dome, which is at Gate B across from Sadler Hall. Students must wear tennis shoes and cannot bring in food or drink.

For information about Open Recreation Nights at the Dome, including activities and tournament offerings, check on the and follow @BeWellSU on , and .

And ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff can save 30 percent on tickets via an exclusive offer. Use code SYREDU when purchasing via ��or via the Carrier Dome Box Office (Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 888-DOME-TIX).

This offer is good through Feb. 1.

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.

Performers at��Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 2016.

Applications are due Friday for individuals and groups who would like to perform at the 2018 Martin Luther King Junior Celebration, which takes place on Jan. 28 at the Carrier Dome. Application forms may be downloaded from the , and are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17.

Auditions will be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Pieces performed during the audition must represent what would be performed at the celebration, and must not exceed three minutes.

For more information, contact MLK Program Chair Cora Thomas at cathomas@syr.edu.

The ���ϲ����� Martin Luther King Jr. 2018 Celebration committee is seeking nominations for the Unsung Heroes Awards, which will be presented during the evening celebration in the Carrier Dome on Jan. 28, 2018. The awards are presented annually to people who, in the spirit of King’s “beloved community,” have made a positive difference in the lives of others, but who are not widely recognized for their efforts. To be eligible for this award, nominees should not have received widespread recognition or been previously honored for their efforts, and their work should be ongoing and outside their normal job/student expectations.

Nominations may be made in any of the following categories:
• youth/teen from Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga or Cortland counties
• adult from Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cayuga or Cortland counties
• student at ���ϲ����� or SUNY-ESF
• faculty or staff from ���ϲ����� or SUNY-ESF

The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, Oct. 10.

Information and nomination forms are available at .

Contact information:
Sylvia Langford, Unsung Heroes Award Committee, stlangfo@syr.edu

John Lennon and Yoko Ono at the Everson Museum of Art, 1971. (Photo courtesy of Everson Museum of Art)

Even in a building with staggering history, suite 830 has particular meaning: It is the physical centerpiece of an extraordinary bond between ���ϲ����� and The Beatles.

“Two of them stayed here, in the hotel,” says Riley ’78 of the legendary British rock band that dissolved in 1970. “A third might. And the fourth, we can’t do anything about.”

Paul McCartney is coming to ���ϲ�����. He will perform on Sept. 23 at the Carrier Dome, the first time one of the Beatles has performed on campus.

Still, based on at least one account, it is not the first time McCartney thought about bringing his music to ���ϲ�����. In the early 1970s, May Pang was a romantic partner of John Lennon, the other half of the immortal Lennon-McCartney Beatles songwriting duo. In 2010, Pang told The ���ϲ����� Post-Standard how McCartney paid a 1974 visit to Lennon, in California. They tried to heal a friendship that had been torn apart.

They also dreamed out loud about getting together to again write some songs, Pang recalled. The location they discussed?

“We wanted it to be close to New York City, but not in the heart of it, where it would be a bit too crazy,” Pang wrote. in 1971, so he just thought that if this were to happen, ���ϲ����� might just be the spot.”

That reunion became impossible in 1980, when Lennon was shot to death in New York City.

It is far too early for Riley to predict if McCartney will stay at the hotel. If he does, Riley will put him in what is called “the presidential suite” on the 11th floor, a suite featuring a restored Steinway piano that Riley says may be original to the building.

Yet McCartney will certainly hear the tale of what happened in suite 830. It is where Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, stayed during the 1971 opening of Ono’s show, “This is not here,” at the nearby Everson Museum of Art. It is where Beatles historians say the couple wrote a song, “Attica State,” lamenting the bloodshed during an uprising that year at Attica State Prison.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono with children at the Everson Museum of Art, 1971. (Photo courtesy of Everson Museum of Art)

It is also where Lennon celebrated his 31^st birthday on Oct. 9, 1971, with a party that included Ono, Starr, legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg, rock producer Phil Spector (now serving time for murder in California), such distinguished musicians as Nicky Hopkins and Jim Keltner, activist Abbie Hoffman and many others.

At the time, Lennon and Ono made their presence known throughout the community. One day—accompanied by longtime friend Klaus Voormann, an artist, musician and Beatles confidant—they went swimming at the quiet ���ϲ����� home of Alex and Charlotte “Chuckie” Holstein. Alex was president of the Everson’s board of directors, while Chuckie is a longtime civic advocate in ���ϲ�����.

She recalls how her father, Morris Garelick, a Russian immigrant well into his 80s, was also at their home. Ono, lacking a bathing suit, offered to swim in the nude. “I told her, ‘Not in front of my father,’” recalls Chuckie, who managed to come up with a swimsuit.

By the end of the day, Chuckie says, Ono and her father were deep in conversation, comparing their experiences as American immigrants. “After they left,” Chuckie says of Garelick, “he asked me: ‘Who was that nice lady and nice man?’”

Ono and Lennon also struck up a longtime friendship with Oren Lyons, a ’57 graduate and a faithkeeper at the Onondaga Nation. The couple met at Onondaga with Lyons and other native leaders, who were engaged in protests at the time against state plans to expand Interstate 81 on their territory.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Faithkeeper Oren Lyons and Chief Leon Shenandoah at the Onondaga Nation. (Photo courtesy of Rex Lyons)

There were even reports that executives with Apple Records dreamed of holding an impromptu reunion of The Beatles on Lennon’s birthday in ���ϲ�����, a story confirmed by such authorities as Jim Harithas, who at the time was executive director of the Everson. It didn’t happen. Neither McCartney nor Harrison, the other member of the band, made it to ���ϲ�����.

Even so, McCartney’s music got an airing at the time in suite 830. Lennon, Ono and their friends held an impromptu singalong during the birthday party, in which Starr used some overturned trash baskets for percussion. They sang many songs, including “Attica State” and the famous Lennon song that is officially credited as a collaboration with McCartney, “Don’t Let Me Down.”

They also made a haunting choice that shows just how much McCartney was on Lennon’s mind: In a slice of the party captured by filmmaker Jonas Mekas, Lennon and his friends begin singing “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” a song McCartney and his wife Linda had turned into a hit.

The suite was the scene of a memorable exchange mentioned by famed rock critic Robert Christgau in his 1980 eulogy for Lennon, in The Village Voice. Christgau described visiting with Lennon and Starr at the Hotel ���ϲ����� on the day of the party in 1971 and how Starr grew weary of waiting for room service. Lennon advised Starr to tell the hotel he was a Beatle and that he wanted his food in a hurry.

“You’ve got the fame,” Lennon said in a quote that included a profanity. “You might as well get something out of it.”

Riley, the businessman who became a hero in ���ϲ����� by restoring the hotel, says it is hard to put the power of that Beatles history into words. The building has hosted presidents, famed entertainers, great athletes, fabled writers. But the presence of Lennon, Ono and Starr, Riley says, gave the place a spiritual resonance “that goes beyond musical culture.”

Starr has returned to ���ϲ����� for other performances since that 1971 party. George Harrison died of cancer in 2001, at 58. As for Lennon, he had such fond memories of his stay in suite 830, May Pang told The Post-Standard, that he’d eventually suggest to McCartney that they someday meet in ���ϲ����� to work as musical partners, once again.

Almost a half-century later, that reunion is an impossibility. It is what McCartney himself, once he arrives here, might describe as “one sweet dream.”

Paul McCartney. Photo credit: MJ Kim

On Sept. 23, Paul McCartney will play his first show ever in ���ϲ�����, New York, when he brings his all-new One On One Tour to the Carrier Dome.

McCartney’s One On One tour opened April 13, 2016, with his debut concert in Fresno, California. The show, which opened with McCartney’s first performance of “A Hard Day’s Night” since��The Beatles��last played it 1965, drew instant and unanimous raves from near (“McCartney’s abundance of natural charm and charisma made this sold-out arena show feel and more like a really big piano bar”—The Fresno Bee) and far (“nearly three hours of music that moved gracefully from the intimate to the explosive… the emphasis never drifted from the music, ranging from generational anthems to post-Beatles deep cuts”—Rolling Stone).

One On One has since logged 36 shows and counting, spanning the globe from North and South America to the UK and Europe and a current run of Japanese dates. Venues have ranged from packed stadiums and arenas to one of the most intimate gigs of McCartney’s solo career to date at the 300-capacity Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace in tiny Pioneertown, California.

One On One’s 2016 run wrapped up with two headlining sets at the historic Desert Trip festival in Indio, California, which featured surprise guest appearances from��Neil Young��and��Rihanna—a fitting coda to a tour that featured McCartney joined on encores by the likes of Nirvana’s��Krist Novoselic��in Seattle, Jimmy Fallon in Vancouver, and both��Bob Weir��of the��Grateful Dead��and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at a record-breaking show at Boston’s Fenway Park.

The��Paul McCartney��live experience is everything any music lover could ever want from a rock show—and so much more: Nearly three hours worth of the greatest moments from the last 50 years of music, dozens of songs that have formed the soundtracks of our lives. McCartney and his band have played an unparalleled range of venues and locations: outside the Coliseum in Rome, Moscow’s Red Square, Buckingham Palace, the White House, a free show in Mexico for over 400,000 people, the last-ever show at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park where��The Beatles��played their final concert 1966, and even one performance broadcast live into space. Featuring McCartney’s band of the last 10-plus years—Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards),��Brian Ray��(bass/guitar),��Rusty Anderson (guitar) and��Abe Laboriel Jr��(drums)—the show is never anything short of life-changing.

As with every��Paul McCartney��tour, One On One features dozens of classics from the most beloved catalog in popular music, spanning McCartney’s entire career—as a solo artist, member of Wings and, of course, as a Beatle—and no shortage of surprises. State-of-the-art audio and video technology ensure an unforgettable experience from every seat in the house: Massive screens, lasers, fireworks and, of course, a staggering selection of the best songs ever written or performed make every��Paul McCartney show a once-in-a-lifetime event that transcends and elevates the potential of live music.

Tickets for the Sept. 23 show at the Carrier Dome go on sale to the general public Monday, May 1, at 10 a.m. local time.

American Express card members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time through Sunday, April 30, at 10 p.m. local time.

Check for more information and check out an exclusive behind the scenes rehearsal video at .

For academic purposes, home lot parking permits will be honored until four hours prior to tip off. After this time, home lot permits will be honored at Booth Garage or the Ostrom, Harrison and Lehman lots.

For game attendance, home lot permits will be honored in the Manley North or South lots. Patrons will be transported to and from College Place. Disabled parking is available at Skytop; patrons will be transported to and from Gate A/Gate G.

Parking and Transit Services appreciates your support of these procedures. For questions or to make alternate arrangements, contact Dee Bailey at debailey@syr.edu or 315.443.4596.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the concert is set to begin at 7:30. All SU parking permits will be honored at Manley, Skytop, Booth Garage, and University Avenue Garage. Parking will be available starting at 2 p.m., with shuttle buses beginning at 4 p.m. running from the Manley and Skytop lots.

The following lots will all be restricted to day-of dome event issued permits:

All Campus West lots
Arch lot
Carnegie lot
Irving Avenue Garage
Q3 lot
Q1 lot

Due to the large number of people expected to attend the show, early arrival is crucial to avoid delays in getting to the dome.

For more information, contact the Parking and Transit Office at 315-443-4652.

The Relay for Life committee is comprised of students from SU and ESF who work with a liaison from the American Cancer Society. This committee works all year long, planning and making arrangements to make Relay successful.

Students, faculty and staff members will come together for the Relay for Life on April 18.

“We remember those we have lost, we celebrate those who have survived and we honor the fighters who are still battling,” says Lynne Mowers from SU Food Services, who assists student organizers. “Cancer never sleeps. That’s why we walk overnight.”

Throughout the night there will be bands, dance groups and entertainers performing for the relay participants. There are raffles for things such as lottery tickets, gift certificates, gift baskets and more, with all proceeds being donated to the cause. Food and supplies are donated by ���ϲ����� Banana, Sal’s Birdland, Hofmann Hot Dogs, Bimbo Bakery, Frito Lay, Pepsi, Deli Boy and Johnston Paper to keep the walkers fed and hydrated throughout the night. These vendors participate every year, always eager to help the SU/ESF communities.

2015 will be the 13th year for Relay for Life at SU/ESF. The committee, once all Alpha Phi Omega brothers, has grown to include students from all over both campuses and representing several student organizations. Student organizations, residence hall floors, campus departments, fraternities and sororities all get involved by creating teams to walk. Each team pledges to keep one team member walking throughout the night.

Relay starts with a survivor lap, and all the rest of the participants cheer on the survivors. Following that, everyone starts to walk and will keep walking throughout the night. There is a Luminaria Ceremony at 10 p.m. during which namesof victims, survivors and people currently fighting cancer are read. This event is the most solemn part of Relay.

The first Relay for Life was held in 2003 in Manley Field House. It was brought to campus and sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity in recognition of Shannon Garrison, a graduating brother who was a cancer survivor. Forty teams participated in the first Relay, and it grew from there. By the third Relay in 2005, the event barely fit into Manley. The next year, it was moved to the Carrier Dome.

There is still time to register a team or join a team. For people who want to support Relay but can’t attend that day, online donations are gratefully accepted. The website for the SU/ESF Relay for Life is www.relayforlife.org/syracuseuniversityny.

“We never, at any Hillel program, want to turn people away,” says senior Zach Goldberg, the Hillel Programming Associate. Goldberg is on the front lines for coordinating the event, along with Lila Birenbaum, the vice president of religious life for the Hillel Jewish Student Union. Birenbaum, also a ���ϲ����� student, will organize and execute the entire two-hour service for the Passover dinner, while Goldberg works behind the scenes to make sure the event runs smoothly.

“Anybody who walks in should feel comfortable,” says Brian Small, the executive director of Hillel at ���ϲ�����. “We’re Jewish, but we have friends and supporters who are not Jewish; we’re a home away from home for all students.” To add that sense of ���ϲ����� community, Small explains that there are several Hillel Passover traditions unique to SU, such as an orange on Seder plates and on toys representative of the various plagues mentioned in the service.

Hillel also plans on taking full advantage of the resources offered by the Carrier Dome to deliver the service. Announcements will be displayed on the speaker board, and audio-visual resources will enable Eric Fingerhut, CEO of Hillel, to address the crowd. Additionally, the Carrier Dome’s CART system makes the service accessible to guests with hearing disabilities.

“We’re incredibly grateful for all of the staff who helped make this possible. This is a huge undertaking, and they really bent over backwards to make sure we felt comfortable,” says Small, on working with the university to adapt the event for the Carrier Dome.

“We’re having one of the most important events in the Jewish year in one of the most important venues to the ���ϲ����� community,” adds Goldberg.

Passover in the Carrier Dome will be held on Friday, April 3,^�� at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Winnick Hillel Center on Walnut Place, and can be purchased with cash, credit, SUpercard and even meal swipes for those with a valid SU meal plan. For more information, contact Hillel at ���ϲ�����.

Story by Austin Galovski, work-study in the Office of News Services

Billy Joel performs at the Carrier Dome Friday night. Photo by Chase Guttman

Photo by Chase Guttman

Photo by Chase Guttman

Photo by Chase Guttman

Photo by Chase Guttman

Photo by Chase Guttman

Guttman is an intern with ���ϲ�����’s Student Social Media Team.

Runoff from rain and snow falling on the Carrier Dome’s roof will be used to flush the Dome’s toilets.

“This is one of those projects you become very proud of,” says Pete Sala, senior associate athletics director of facility operations and Carrier Dome managing director. “This building is 35-years old, yet we’re adding elements that help us take it into the future.”

The complex system funnels rain and snowmelt from a portion of the Carrier Dome rooftop into underground storage tanks, allows for filtration and chlorination of the water, and then puts it into holding tanks, where the water is pumped into the women’s and men’s rooms for use in toilet cisterns. See an inforgraphic that explains the process here.

Not only is the storm water being put to use, it’s also taking away some of the burden on the sewage treatment plant.

“Typically 50,000 gallons of storm water would just go directly to the metro sewage facility,” says John Osinski, senior project manager in the Office of Design and Construction. “Instead, we will be putting that water to use and delaying the amount of storm water going directly to the sewage treatment plant.”

The project also served an educational purpose.

“Communication design students (from the ) were involved in providing the Dome signage explaining benefits of the system,” says Rachel May, coordinator of sustainability education. “Students from the studied the mechanisms used in construction, and civil and environmental engineering students worked on a project suggesting further enhancements the system.”

The project was fueled through a $1.35 million grant from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. (EFC) through Gov. Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council’s Consolidated Funding Application. EFC’s Green Innovation Grant Program has awarded more than $115 million to 153 projects designed to spur green innovation, particularly the use of green stormwater practices across the state. C&S Companies assisted ���ϲ����� in securing the grant.

“Through our Green Innovation Grant Program, New York State is making an historic investment in green technology, particularly here in Onondaga County,” says Matthew Driscoll, president and CEO of the NYS EFC. “New York is a national leader in environmentally friendly innovation, which creates jobs while protecting the environment. The Carrier Dome project will ultimately contribute to improved water quality in Onondaga Lake by reducing the amount of stormwater entering the sewer system.”

The system is visible in an interactive display involving the mechanical room (located directly inside Gate D), along with purple piping running along some of the interior hallways.

“With the amount of water that comes off this roof, this is a big benefit to the environment,” according to Sala. “This is a great system.”

Media coverage of the announcement:

Billy Joel speaks at ���ϲ�����’s 2006 Commencement.

“The Dome has featured many enjoyable concerts over the years. Some of the illustrious musicians that have performed here have come back to play at the Dome many times throughout the years, making ties with the community and ���ϲ����� that remain until this day,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facility Operations and Carrier Dome Managing Director Pete Sala. Sala described Billy Joel as an “iconic performer,” before turning the podium over to Ann Clarke, dean of the , who made the formal announcement.

There is history between Joel and ���ϲ�����. In addition to his previous appearances at the Dome, Joel was the University’s Commencement speaker in 2006. Also, the College of Visual and Performing Arts received a $320,000 gift from Joel as part of his long-term commitment to music education and his recently launched music education initiative, which provides gifts of seed money, musical scholarships and endowments to East Coast colleges. This was used to establish Billy Joel Fellowships in Composition at the Setnor School of Music.

More information on tickets sales and show details can be found at

Customers browse the items at last year’s Annual Charity Sports Auction.

The Sport Management (SPM) Club will hold its ninth Annual Charity Sports Auction on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Carrier Dome. Silent bidding on hundreds of auction items, including sports memorabilia and hands-on experiences, electronics and tickets to major sporting events, will take place in the backcourt during the SU men’s basketball game against Binghamton University.

Doors will open for the auction at 5 p.m. through Gates A, B, C and E. All other gates will open as usual at 5:30 p.m.

The SPM Club is a student-run organization in the ’ Sport Management Department. Since its founding in 2005, the club has raised nearly $200,000 for local charities. All of the proceeds from this year’s auction will benefit the Food Bank of Central New York.

“Food Bank is pleased to have been selected as the charity of choice for the sport management auction. It is rewarding to see local organizations support our mission to reduce food insecurity,” says Kathleen Stress, executive director, Food Bank of Central New York. “Every dollar raised is able to provide 2.3 meals back into the community, helping families with nutritious meals for their children.”

Food Bank of Central New York is a not-for-profit organization working to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education and advocacy in cooperation with the community. Food Bank serves as the primary food supplier for 261 emergency food assistance programs in 11 counties of New York State, distributing 13,420,441 pounds of food last year. Visit for more information.

Previous beneficiaries of the club’s annual charity auction have included the Boys & Girls Clubs, American Diabetes Association, Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY, the Central New York SPCA, the Upstate Cancer Center and most recently, Special Olympics New York, which was given a record-breaking $35,239.

The purchase of a game ticket for the Dec. 7 men’s basketball game is necessary for access to the auction. Tickets can be purchased on the SU Athletics’ Web site () or at the Carrier Dome Box Office. Tickets can also be ordered by phone at��1-800-DOMETIX. Follow the ���ϲ����� Charity Auction on Twitter @SU_SPM_Auction, and on Facebook. Visit for the most current information on the auction.

The Carrier Dome was already the largest domed stadium in the Northeast and the largest domed college arena in America. And now, the Dome contains WiFi infrastructure to rival that of any NFL stadium.

“SU is a rare example of a university that has invested in fan-facing wireless in their sports complex,” says Peter Morrissey, director of networking. “SU’s commitment to quality wireless connectivity sets it apart from the pack.”

“This installation is an ongoing effort to enhance the fans’ game-day experience,” adds Peter Sala, senior associate director of athletics for facility operations and managing director of the Carrier Dome. “Our media partners also count on us to provide the tools they need to do their jobs in a timely fashion.”

Complete stadium WIFI (OrangeHotSpot) is now available to all fans who attend games. This enables ���ϲ����� Athletics, in conjunction with its technology partner SIDEARM Sports, to use social media to increase fan engagement during games. Fans are now encouraged to check in, tweet and tag their photos using #OrangeNation. ���ϲ����� is believed to be the first college or professional team to integrate the social network Foursquare on its ribbon/video boards.

ITS’s work in the Dome is close to completion. “We’re still fine tuning and calibrating the Dome networks, and working on configuring coverage for the roll-out bleachers,” says Lee Badman, SU’s IT architect behind the project. ��“OrangeHotSpot coverage should be pretty good just about everywhere in the Dome, but feedback from users continues to be essential to our success.”

Anyone using the wireless network in the Dome is encouraged to help ITS by emailing to NDD@listserv.syr.edu their section, row and seat numbers, date, time, device details (including device MAC address, ideally) and a description of their experience.

Since early last summer, ITS has been providing network system design and oversight, tightly collaborating with Carrier Dome staff for installation of more than 136 access points (APs). Using feedback from dozens of SU students and staff, and members of the connected public attending numerous events, ITS’s Networking group has deployed specialized gear and developed customized configurations to provide the best connections for the most people attending all types of events.

“So far, through the football and men’s and women’s basketball home games to date, along with other events like the One World and the Zac Brown concerts, we’ve served almost 50,000 wireless clients as the system has been getting closer to completion and final tuning,” says Badman. “We are designing it to support heavily attended games and events.”

The Dome’s specialized antennas and access points are the same type used in professional sports facilities such as Yankee Stadium, Cowboys Stadium and Gillette Stadium. The new network can be manipulated to suit the size and arrangement of various Dome events. Using seating layouts and attendance estimates from Dome staff for particular event types, ITS engineers develop and test network configurations to ensure optimum connectivity for the maximum number of clients in all areas of the facility for each type of event.

“We need to tune the wireless local area network according to how the radio signals, client devices and the facility itself all interact with each other,” says Badman. “Each event type is a different wireless paradigm, and the Dome network has been ITS’ biggest wireless networking challenge by far.” In a typical campus building, walls and ceilings are an integral and important part of dense wireless design. In the “bowl” of the Dome, the absence of typical building interior features and the enormity of the facility combine to require a specialized design approach. Networking and Dome management staff were able to improve upon an already strong spirit of collaboration to extend specialized wireless gear into the exact locations needed to satisfy the Dome’s high-user-density requirements.

In addition to specialized APs and antennas, ITS employs several special network aspects in the Dome, including:

• unique manipulation of access point service set identifiers (SSIDs), enabling per-event change of the Dome from “just another SU building” to a public venue hosting extremely large crowds;
• large-scale Network Address Translation (NAT) to provide private internet protocol (IP) addressing for more wireless devices than there are seats at the Dome’s busiest times;
• stand-alone networks, such as OrangeHotSpot, used only in the Dome; and

• Tight integration with a wireless-based vendor. “We provide the wireless local area network (WLAN) for Ticketmaster’s gate operations, and have helped them modernize a technologically antiquated scanner environment,” said Badman.

ITS also relies on Dome staff to help spread the word about problems posed by the media, vendors and production companies bringing their own WiFi gear into the Dome, as one full-strength consumer-grade AP can disrupt dozens of ITS APs and make wireless connectivity miserable for hundreds of fans. Far from being just another building on campus that happens to have wireless coverage, the Dome is a unique asset that also has a unique WLAN infrastructure. Long term success will come from careful joint-stewardship shared by ITS and the Carrier Dome’s staff, who provided much of the labor for this unique endeavor.

For more about increasing fan engagement in the Dome with social media, .

This story was written by George Clarke and Chris Finkle

More than 2,700 people attended two sessions of the “Common Ground for Peace” forum with the Dalai Lama and international thought leaders on the SU campus Monday. The webcast of the morning session, “The Rise of Democracy in the Middle East,” attracted 5,000 viewers from 13 countries. The webcast of the afternoon session, “Shifting the Global Consciousness,” attracted 6,500 viewers from 17 countries.

Next on the agenda for His Holiness: The “One World Concert,” Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The concert is expected to be one of the largest gatherings of international artists ever to travel to the region and will follow a public talk by the Dalai Lama. The concert is produced and sponsored by World Harmony Productions and hosted by ���ϲ�����.

World Harmony Productions also announced today that the One World Concert will now be exclusively broadcast on AXS TV. In the ���ϲ����� area, AXS TV is available on DirecTV channel 306, DISH Network channel 131 and Verizon FiOS channel 569. For more information on AXS TV, visit .

For ticketholders attending the concert, please be reminded:

There will be no parking available for sale in campus or Stadium West lots. Patrons are strongly encouraged to park in the Manley Field House or Skytop lots ($10 per car) and take a free shuttle to and from College Place to avoid delays in attending the event. These lots will open at 3 p.m. (Use Route 81��to the Brighton Avenue exit or Route 481 to the Brighton/Rock Cut Road exit and follow the signs.)

All guests will be subject to enhanced security measures and metal detection before entering the Carrier Dome. All purses and backpacks will be searched and bags larger than 12 inches by 12 inches will not be permitted into the Dome. Patrons are discouraged from bringing such items to the event. Arrive at the parking lots early and leave any prohibited items in your vehicle. There will be no place to hold your items inside the Carrier Dome.

Prohibited items include:
• all cameras (still and video),��tablets, laptops��and recording devices
• bags of any kind larger than 12 inches by 12 inches
• firearms, explosives, fireworks and pocket knives
• air horns, backpacks, balls, balloons, banners, beach balls, coolers, confetti, containers, duffel bags, laser pointers, noisemakers, electronic instruments, inflatable items, promotional items, shopping bags, signs (larger than 2 feet tall by 18 inches wide), squirt guns, tools
• food or beverages (except for medical reasons or infants)

For more information on the One World Concert, visit oneworld.syr.edu.