free
WEDNESDAY
march 2, 2016 high 25°, low 12°
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 • Raising funds
dailyorange.com
P • Wheels on the bus
JPMorgan Chase & Co. has donated $13.8 million to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at SU, effectively funding the institute through 2020. Page 3
Dealing with bad weather, potholes and intoxicated students is just another day on the job for a Centro bus driver driving from South to Main Campus every day. Page 9
S • Her release
Senior Syracuse University forward Melissa Piacentini ranks as one of the best players in school history. Playing ice hockey helps her deal with OCD. Page 16
illustration by devyn passaretti head illustrator
NOW UNBOARDING Why SU temporarily banned campus use, storage of hoverboards
By Michael Burke asst. news editor
S
yracuse University’s decision to temporarily ban the use and storage of hoverboards on campus was made jointly by the Department of Public Safety, DPS’s Fire and Life Safety staff and the Office of Residence Life staff. Chief Law Enforcement Officer Tony Callisto said those three groups began discussions regarding hoverboards at the start of this semester. The discussions were in response to the United
States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)’s December statement that it was investigating incidents across the country of hoverboards catching on fire. But Callisto added that there is a possibility DPS could lift the ban in the future for hoverboards that are certified through recently announced safety standards, and some officials in the hoverboard industry believe many hoverboards currently on the market are already up to those standards. There haven’t been any reported incidents of a hoverboard catching on fire at SU, but Callisto said
the temporary ban was a proactive decision designed to ensure it stays that way.
52
Number of reported incidents of hoverboards catching on fire in 24 states from Dec. 1 through Feb. 17
“The biggest concern is that when someone’s done riding (a hoverboard), they’re going to put it in a residence hall room and it’s going to catch on fire and
put the whole residence hall at risk,” Callisto said. Student Association Vice President Jane Hong, who is also a resident adviser in the Sheraton University Hotel and Conference Center, said she has often seen residents on her floor with hoverboards. There was also worry about the possibility of a hoverboard catching on fire in a classroom, Callisto said. “Those are significant concerns that we couldn’t allow to continue,” he said. SU is not the first university to impose some type of ban on hover-
boards. More than 30 colleges and universities across the country have done so — including SU peer institutions American University, Boston College, George Washington University, Tulane University and Vanderbilt University. Callisto said before SU issued its own ban on hoverboards, DPS officials had conversations with many schools that are considering imposing a ban or have already imposed a ban on hoverboards. The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement see hoverboards page 6
Mahoney expresses support for merger in county address By Michael Burke asst. news editor
Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney expressed support for a recently proposed merger between the city of Syracuse and the county at her State of the County address on Tuesday night. The independent group Consensus, composed of legislators and community members, released a
preliminary report in January that recommended the creation of a citycounty government. In her call Tuesday night for the governments to consolidate, Mahoney criticized those who have been less open to the merger and argued that the idea of consolidation shouldn’t be treated like a new one. Mahoney said it’s “been a little disappointing but not at all surprising to hear the negativity” surrounding
Consensus’ proposal. “Negativity is easy,” Mahoney said. “Have you ever stopped to think about that? ‘No’ is much easier than ‘yes.’ If you say ‘no’ to everything, then you have no work to do. But ‘yes’ is hard. And ‘yes’ takes a lot of work.” At recent town hall meetings held by Consensus, community members — including some Syracuse common councilors — have repeatedly expressed concerns about the ben-
efits of the merger, with some complaining that the Consensus report does not specifically address Syracuse’s high concentration of poverty among minority groups. Mahoney said she overcame similar negativity when some were critical about the feasibility of the creation of the Lakeview Amphitheater, which opened last September and which Mahoney said will positively impact the economy.
The county executive also emphasized Tuesday that governments have long discussed merger possibilities, citing articles and editorial boards regarding the issue from The Post-Standard and The Syracuse Herald-Journal. The articles and editorial boards date back to 1993, Mahoney said. “So, please, as we engage in yet another community-wide debate
see county page 6