free
thursday
feb. 27, 2014 high 18°, low 2°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
N • Staying connected
P • Share the date
The Connective Corridor has started the second and third phases of its project.
dailyorange.com
Syracuse’s hairiest compete to determine who has the best beard this Thursday at the Landmark Theatre. Page 11
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Fresh
S • Middle man
With transfer Randy Staats taking his place on the attack, Derek Maltz will play midfielder as SU takes on Virginia Saturday. Page 20
university union
outlook
A$AP Ferg to perform at MayFest
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By Jacob Pramuk
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asst. news editor
Rapper A$AP Ferg will headline University Union’s annual MayFest concert in Walnut Park on April 25. DJ AraabMUZIK will support A$AP Ferg and indie band Joywave will open the concert. MayFest starts at 1 p.m. and leads into Block Party, which will be held in the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. Undergraduate Syracuse University and State University of New York of Environmental Science and Forestry students can enter for free, while graduate students and guests can purchase tickets for $22 starting Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Schine Student Center Box Office. Austin Thomas, one of the MayFest directors and a junior in the
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hard to reach Residents of the South Side neighborhood live in a food desert, which means they have to travel far and wide for groceries. Here are the closest grocery stores in the area: 1 - Eat to Live Co-Op
4 - BL Currys Market
2 - Nojaim Brothers Super Market
5 - Jimmy’s Super Saver
3 - Stop and Save Market
6 - Middle East Market
see mayfest page 9
To see the extent of the food desert see dailyorange.com
illustration by natalie riess art director
Eat to Live Food Cooperative revises budget, plans re-opening By Lydia Wilson asst. copy editor
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hen the Eat to Live Food Cooperative on Syracuse’s South Side opened in October, residents could find fresh food just around the corner. But in December, just two months after opening, the co-op closed — forcing community members to once again rely on their familiar, tedious practices to obtain the food they needed. “Half of the people in the neighborhood don’t have cars. They buy what little food they can at local corner stores, or carpool to grocery stores in other towns. It’s been difficult, as it has been for many years,” said Howie Hawkins, one of the co-op’s board members. Residents of the South Side live in a food desert, an area with limited access to affordable, healthy food — especially for those who walk or rely on public transportation. People in food deserts often end up eating food that is overly processed, said Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz, South Side resident and Chaplain at Hendricks Chapel. “It’s not nutritious, and it can be toxic,” Shoultz said. “Co-ops provide organic and locally grown food. These are the qualities that we need to bring to people.” The co-op plans to meet these needs in the South Side once again, as the board hopes to re-open the co-op this spring, possibly in April.
The original closure was due to a lack of money — which, for Hawkins, didn’t come as a surprise. Hawkins said he knew it would be difficult for the co-op to generate enough revenue in order to become stable. Hawkins said that the board views the closure as a delay, not a setback. With the re-opening, the board plans to show that it’s learned from its mistakes to provide consistent access to healthy food on the South Side.
Co-ops provide organic and locally grown food. These are the qualities that we need to bring to people. Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz chaplain at hendricks chapel
“We’ve been working on the project for seven years, and there have always been hurdles along the way,” Hawkins said. “It’s a part of every business, especially the new ones.” The re-opening, complete with a new business plan and management team, is meant to make the store more accessible to customsee eat
to live page 8
NYPIRG lobbies for education By Rebecca Shafer contributing writer
Lindzee Powell knows that she studies at Syracuse University, her “top choice school,” because of financial aid. Because of that, she feels a sense of duty to help those who currently don’t have access to the same opportunities. Powell, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, was a part of a group of New York Public Interest Research Group affiliated SU students who convened at 5:15 a.m. Wednesday to drive to Albany and lobby their platform on higher education to state politicians. Ten SU students joined a mix of more than 100 students, faculty and see nypirg page 9