The sun will come out hi
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t h e i n de pe n de n t s t u de n t n e w spa pe r of s y r acuse , n e w yor k
I N S I D ene w s
I N S I D e o p ini o n
INSIDepulp
INSIDEsports
Rags to riches Scott Brown signed
AThenotable speaker Daily Orange Editorial
Just be a queen The high-energy Totally
Wild finish Syracuse’s goal with
copies of his autobiography at SU on Saturday. Page 3
SU adapts to rise in number of veterans By Susan Kim
Board supports the commencement speaker choice. Page 5
six seconds left gives SU a 5-4 win over Villanova. Page 16
soldiering on
Six decades later, SU alumni recall WWII veterans flooding, changing campus By Laurence Leveille
Copy Chief
For as long as she could remember, Ginger Gunnip needed a break. Her mother struggled with psychological issues and a back problem. Her father popped in and out of her life, usually too busy dealing with his drug addiction to support his family. So Gunnip did the job for him. She supported her mother and older sister. Worked at an airport to make money. Left home after refusing to move to Wisconsin. Found a job at a research lab during a high school recruitment assembly. Got a herniated disk in her back at 19 and was fired before it completely healed. By the time she turned 23, she was ready for a break. So she joined the Army and was deployed to Iraq a few months later. “It’s funny when that’s break for you,” Gunnip said. Now the 27-year-old sophomore biomedical engineering major is one of 177 student veterans at Syracuse University, a population of students that has increased by 31 percent since last year. SU has continuously been a place for veterans. When the first class of veterans graduated with the G.I. Bill in 1950, the group was one of the largest classes in university history. But as times have changed, so has how the university chooses to serve its student veteran population. The recent growth in the number of student veterans since the Post9/11 G.I. Bill, enacted in August 2009, prompted the university to improve outreach initiatives for veterans. From establishing a new veterans center to creating writing and business programs, SU began to offer ways that made for an easier transition from military life to civilian life. For Gunnip, returning to civilian life meant leaving the war in Iraq for an education in Syracuse. It meant a chance to start a new family with her husband and their baby. It meant an opportunity to release some of the stress she experienced in the Army. And she did it through the only see veterans page 6
Fabulous Drag Show spotlights performers’ eccentric talents. Page 9
Asst. copy editor
W
es Peterson hadn’t planned on going to college. He graduated high school in June 1942 and took a job as a shipping clerk. He was drafted into the Army less than a year later. But when Peterson heard about the G.I. Bill, he decided to attend college. He ended up at Syracuse University because it was one of the few colleges that accepted his credits from Springfield Junior College, where he studied after returning from the war. SU made the transition to college easier than other schools at the time by granting veterans sophomore standing if they took classes during the summer. “A bunch of us elected to go to Syracuse so we would not waste another year,” Peterson said. Peterson graduated from SU six decades ago, in one of the largest graduating class-
es in SU history. Commencement that year was held in Archbold Stadium, as the class was too large to hold commencement in any campus building, Peterson said. The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the G.I. Bill, was enacted nationally during Chancellor William Tolley’s tenure. Although the bill didn’t require universities to accept veterans, Tolley recognized the opportunity and accommodated for the increased student population. The Class of 1950’s commencement was one of many held during the World War II era. SU had become a leader nationwide for its commitment to helping returning soldiers receive an education. From 1943 to 1952, the university held two or three commencements each year, according to SU Archives. Before the war, the see g.i. bill page 4
courtesy of su archives Wes Peterson, a member of the class of 1950 and U.S. Army veteran, got his first color camera the day of the 1950 commencement ceremony at Syracuse University. This photo of the ceremony, held at Archbold Stadium, was taken with his camera.
commencement 2011
Genome scientist to give speech By Meghin Delaney Asst. News Editor
J. Craig Venter, a scientist known for his research with the human genome, will deliver the 2011 commencement address, Syracuse University officials announced Friday. Venter will speak to SU, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SU College of Law graduventer ates on May 15. This year marks the first year College of Law graduates will join SU and ESF graduates for one ceremony, according to the release. Law students have always been invited to participate, but they were generally preparing for finals during past SU and ESF commencements, said Susan Germain, executive director of special events. A change to the law school’s academic calendar made participation more feasible this year, said Jaclyn Grosso, director of communications and media relations at the College of Law, in an email. The College of Law graduates will still have their own commencement ceremony on May 13, Gross said. Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, Delaware attorney general and a 1994 graduate of SU College of Law, will speak at the ceremony. Venter has previously spoken at events for both SU and ESF students. Venter spoke on SU’s campus about two years ago for the dedication of the Life Sciences Complex, Germain said. Germain said she thinks students who attended the dedication probably nominated Venter because of his work. His speech really seemed to impress the people at the dedication, she said. She also said Venter’s speech at commencement will cross many disciplines, not just science or genomics. “No matter where you are or what your discipline, the idea of genome is the see commencement page 4