August 31, 2011

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august 31, 2011

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INSIDENEWS

INSIDEOPINION

INSIDEPULP

INSIDESPORTS

Making the grade With changes over the past

Girl talk Krystie Yandoli discusses the

Winners of Orange Report Bloggers nab contest prizes.

Another chance Former Syracuse assistant Steve Russ tries to

few months, the Syracuse City School District looks for improvement. Page 3

myths young women face when they enter college. Page 5

find success at Wake Forest. Page 16

Page 11

Developer waits for city vote on tax-exemption

Few submit requests for Eid al-Fitr

By Breanne Van Nostrand ASST. COPY EDITOR

A tax-exemption request for a proposed bookstore, fitness center and retail space on University Avenue is still awaiting approval from the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency.

Private developer Cameron Group LLC is seeking tax-exempt status for the top floors of a proposed building.

Cameron Group would lease the space for a bookstore and fitness center to Syracuse University. The planned building, with a potential cost of $20 million, would be 85,000 square feet and located on 601 University Ave. Cameron Group would lease 92 percent of the building back to SU but has asked SIDA to exempt the 92 percent from property taxes, according to an article published online June 22 by The Post-Standard. Property taxes on the building would be about $535,000 a year and the exemption Cameron Group is seeking would amount to about $492,200 a year, according to the article.

SIDA’s vote on the tax-exemption request was postponed during a public meeting June 21. Board member Catherine Richardson asked fellow members to consider postponing the vote to think more about the decision, and three out of four members were in favor of delaying the vote, according to the article.

The tax-exemption request has been questioned due to the involvement of the private developer. During the public meeting, concerns were raised about a tax exemption for a for-profit company and the effect the building will have on local retailers on Marshall Street.

John Gamage, SIDA board member and former assessment commissioner, disagreed with the possibility of a tax exemption for the project because he feels the private, for-profit developer should pay property taxes regardless of who rents the space, according to the article.

SIDA is continuing its talks with the developer, said Ben Walsh, executive director of SIDA. These

SEE CAMERON GROUP PAGE 7

By Debbie Truong ASST. NEWS EDITOR

manager. “It’s so close, but there’s so much more foot traffic here.”

Hicks said the staff began moving merchandise back into the Marshall storefront after commencement in mid-May but never held an official reopening. Customers were able to walk in the store while staff members were still setting up, he said, but only if they knew exactly what they wanted because the place was a mess.

Since then, J. Michael has added new carpet, shelving, LED lighting, flat-screen TVs, mannequins and

Three students used Syracuse University’s newly implemented religious observances policy to commemorate Eid al-Fitr.

The policy allows students to notify teachers of absences due to religious observances through the “My Religious Observances” link on MySlice. Prior to the new system, students notified teachers in advance through writing.

Classes were held on Eid al-Fitr for the first time this year. Students will also attend class on Yom Kippur and Good Friday for the first time ever to extend Fall Break to a full week.

Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday commemorating the end of Ramadan, was the first religious holiday during the 2011-12 academic year.

Sandra Hurd, associate provost of academic programs at SU, said because the notification process is new and it is early in the year, campus officials did not anticipate many students to request Eid al-Fitr off.

Ismail Pathan, vice president of SU’s Muslim Students’ Association, said because Eid al-Fitr fell on the second day of school, not everyone was willing to request the day off.

“The not-so-nice of it was, this year, it just so happened the first day you can actually submit was the first day of classes, the day before the holiday,” Pathan said. “Many students have a lot of things going on.”

Still, Pathan, who did not utilize the policy himself, said he feels most professors were considerate of those who did not excuse themselves via MySlice.

Irfan Uraizee, a freshman broadcast journalism major, said he feels the notification system is effective.

“It’s a more efficient way of informing our professors than to just email them because, then, emails can be lost,” he said.

Uraizee said he decided to skip out on using the notification system to observe Eid al-Fitr because it was his

SEE J. MICHAEL PAGE 4

SEE EID AL-FITR PAGE 4

In his

shoes J. Michael returns to Marshall Street, store sales increase

By Liz Sawyer

A

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

fter more than four months of construction, J. Michael Shoes has reopened in its original storefront on Marshall Street and is attracting a slew of customers, new and old.

“It’s good to be back,” store owner John Vavalo said. “It’s like we never left.”

The store was forced to close after a Jan. 21 water main break flooded the basement, damaging the foundation and destroying nearly all merchandise in the downstairs storeroom. It is still unclear what caused the break, which occurred in the pipeline to the sprinkler system, Vavalo said.

While crews were busy cleaning up the mess on Marshall, Vavalo

from top: stacie fanelli | asst. photo editor; kirsten celo | staff photographer JOHN VAVALO, owner of J. Michael Shoes, holds a shoe inside his store, which relocated to its Marshall Street location in June.

A Jan. 21 pipe burst caused flood damage to the basement. and his staff of 12 set up shop in Marshall Square Mall. The temporary location — “Mini Mike’s,” as Vavalo affectionately called it — was just a few hundred feet away, but it was a third of the space of the original store and lacked the prime business location. Vavalo said business was about 20 percent of what it is on Marshall, so they were barely breaking even.

“We’re very fortunate to have had that place to stay in some sort of business for four months, but it’s just nothing like Marshall Street,” said Erik Hicks, an assistant store

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the daily orange

Graduate degrees rise in US

By Camille Bautista CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Recent college graduates face rough times in today’s marketplace and are constantly on the lookout for something to set them apart from their classmates. The latest trend suggests that the master’s degree is the fastestgrowing option.

A master’s degree is considered the new bachelor’s degree in many fields and is often what tips the scale in favor of degree-bearing job hunters. From 1990 to 2009, the number of people in the United States with a master’s degree has more than doubled, according to the latest data from an article published July 24 in The New York Times.

The degree study, much like military enrollment, increases during times of recession, said Dean Ben Ware of the Graduate School at Syracuse University.

“If people don’t get jobs, they think it’s time to get a better credential,” Ware said.

The bachelor’s degree has not been utterly devalued despite the trend.

Advanced degrees do not affect all majors, Ware said. In accounting and social work, a master’s degree is essential. In other fields, new graduates can still go into a professional practice immediately with a bachelor’s degree still seen as advantageous.

Applications are increasing in most schools and colleges. The graduate school at SU has seen an increase over the past five years, particularly in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, at 26 percent for fall 2011. At Whitman alone, accounting applicants increased by 362 percent and finance applicants jumped 695 percent, Ware said.

Following Whitman, Ware has seen more prospective graduate students in the School of Architecture followed by the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Don Yeung, a senior pre-med student majoring in biology and psychology, switched his plans of attending medical school to getting his master’s degree because of the economy. He believes specializing in a specific area would provide him with better job security.

“A bachelor’s degree is no longer enough,” Yeung said. “We as a society have to constantly prove that we are better and smarter than the next guy.

SEE DEGREES PAGE 4

stacie fanelli | asst. photo editor

Long time coming ANASTASIA KANAKARIS (FRONT) AND DOUNIA BENOMAR, a freshman international relations major and an undeclared freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, respectively, work in a lounge in Lawrinson Hall, where renovations were completed this summer.

Lawrinson, built in 1965, was renovated from top to bottom for $24 million. The primary change to the building was the layout of the residential floors. On each floor, the lounge moved from the middle to the west side of the building, allowing light into the hallways.

Students select colleges based on finances, academics

By Liz Sawyer ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Students choose colleges based on both the perceived educational quality and costs, according to a national study by Maguire Associates and Fastweb.com.

More than 2,400 high school students who use Fastweb, a site that helps students pay for college by providing scholarship and financial aid

information, were surveyed to gain insight on the factors most important in determining where they enrolled for college.

Results showed that, even two years after the height of the recession, economic concerns continued to influence where students enrolled, forcing many into a school that was not their first choice, according to the July 12 news release.

Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb, said while academics play a large roll in where students apply, it is the financial aid offer that ends up guiding many of the students’ final decisions.

“I think that money definitely has a significant influence on the college decision process,” Kantrowitz said. “It’s not the only reason why someone chooses a college, but

it can be a deciding factor. If you can’t afford to go, you can’t afford to go.”

Although 56 percent of the seniors surveyed received need-based financial aid, 82 percent of the respondents applied for it, according to the release.

Lack of funding led one in five seniors to appeal their original

SEE EDUCATION PAGE 4

Federal grant to support electronic science librarians in iSchool

By Christina Levin STAFF WRITER

A $741,000 federal grant will help Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies foster the next generation of electronic science librarians through a doctorate fellowship for advanced e-science.

The program, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, will recruit

and educate six doctoral students in growing fields such as scientific research and data management, according to a June 29 news release.

“The big data issue is a concern of so many people, organizations and societies that it is safe to say that e-science education can be significant and relevant to students in many majors and areas,” said Ping Zhang, a professor at the iSchool and director of the doctorate program, in an email.

An increasing number of companies are starting to recognize the significance of e-science because of the amount of data and information being collected and produced, she said.

J.D. Ross, director of communications at the iSchool, said e-science is only going to be more important “as we push ourselves into the information age.”

Elizabeth Liddy, dean of the iSchool, could not be reached to comment.

The competition for the grant was tough, with just 24 institutions chosen from an applicant pool of more than 110, Zhang said in an email.

The iSchool’s reputation and long track record of training science librarians gave it a competitive edge in the selection process, Ross said.

“Our motto here at the iSchool is: ‘We’re the original school of the information age,’” he said. “We’re

SEE SCIENCE PAGE 4

4 augus t 31, 2 011

J. MICHAEL FROM PAGE 1

glass countertops to the store, Vavalo said.

“Business has really picked up since students have returned,” he said.

Lifelong lover of shoes Vavalo has always worked with shoes — it has been his one and only job.

In eighth grade, Vavalo was hired as a stock boy at a small shoe store in Bradford, Pa., his hometown. Vavalo said he worked in the children’s department, where they kept Itchy the monkey, one of the store’s very successful gimmicks.

When children came in with their mothers to buy new Keds, the store would give away painted turtles as another gimmick. Vavalo said it was his job to punch holes in the shoebox and place the turtle inside.

Vavalo said he learned so much at the store that it seemed only fitting for him to become a shoe salesman.

In May 1983, Vavalo established J. Michael, which he almost named J. Daniel, after himself.

But he quickly changed his mind, deciding it would be better luck to name the store after his 1-year-old son.

At first, Vavalo sold only women’s shoes, but he later expanded and added clothing, accessories and men’s apparel to the mix, he said.

EDUCATION FROM PAGE 3

financial aid offer. Many students who still did not get the assistance they were hoping for were forced to quickly change plans, enrolling in public schools despite a preference for a private education, and vice versa, according to the release. Kantrowitz said in almost all of these cases, the sole reason students switched was because of money.

While Fastweb did not begin issuing the annual survey until the credit crisis, Kantrowitz said that although financial aid has always been a factor, it has never played such a large role in students’ college decisions until the recession. One-sixth of the students reported that one or both of their parents were out of work during the decision-making process, causing even greater financial strain on the family, Kantrowitz said.

“The trend that we’re seeing is that families are getting more sensitive to two factors,” he said. “One is the bottom line cost of the college — what the cost is after you subtract just the grants. The other is: What is the return on investments? Families are perhaps willing to spend a little bit more to get a better quality institution. But they are increasingly focused on what the cost is, in part because the cost has grown so much.”

Chloe Guillemot and her family are willing to

DEGREES FROM PAGE 3

With today’s economy, companies want to hire the smartest people around to represent and work for their corporations.”

The increase in popularity brings a cause for concern for some students who wonder what they can do with a bachelor’s degree. As far as professional fields go, a bachelor’s degree may not do as much as it once could, said Melissa Welshans, president of the Graduate Student Organization at SU. Welshans attributes the emphasis of pursu-

news@ da ilyor a nge.com

Now, 28 years later, Vavalo said the one thing that hasn’t changed is his love for his job.

“Here I am, still stocking shoes and not feeding monkeys anymore,” he said with a smile.

‘If it’s hot, it’s here’ The motto for J. Michael has always been “if it’s hot, it’s here.” And Vavalo lives by that. He does his best to keep up on the ever-changing trends and stock his shelves according to what SU students really want.

Vavalo can talk to customers about subjects as varied as the best model, make and color of his name brand shoes to how Michael Jackson made the penny loafers so popular in the 1980s.

He also knows that every few decades, trends are recycled, and you have to keep your eyes peeled for what will come back in style, just as leg warmers and aviator glasses did.

“This year the North Face raincoat and Hunter boots are kinda the uniform,” he said.

“It’s got the look.”

Vavalo also keeps track of when trends go out of style. He is no longer supplying Vera Bradley products in his store because, he said, they are “so last year.”

In preparation for the winter weather, Vavalo said he keeps a “never out of” list, a reminder that the store can never run out of the most popular merchandise, which he sells almost every day.

“It’s like white bread in the grocery store,” he said “You don’t wanna be out of white

pay top dollar for her education. The freshman broadcast journalism major will attend Syracuse University this fall even though the school offered her no financial aid. Guillemot, a Tiburon, Calif., native, said her family swallowed SU’s hefty price tag so she could attend one of the country’s best communication schools.

As the oldest of four, Guillemot worries that her parents’ pockets will eventually wear thin.

Guillemot said she will begin looking for external scholarships to help lighten the load, but SU is worth the money.

“Especially right now, with the current unemployment rate and the recession, getting jobs is harder and harder,” Guillemot said. “If you don’t have that impressive standout resume when you’re going on the job hunt, you’re just going to be put to the side.”

Kantrowitz agrees that a college degree is becoming increasingly important to getting a job. He said that while the unemployment rates for people with both high school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees are up from the recession, there are half as many people unemployed with advanced degrees.

Many fear that college tuition costs will continue to rise in the coming years, but that remains to be seen, Kantrowitz said. But, he said, in an effort to make cost information available to the families sooner, the government will require every university to have net price calculators (NPCs), to estimate total enrollment expenses, on their websites by late

“A bachelor’s degree is no longer enough.

We as a society have to constantly prove that we are better and smarter than the next guy.”

Don Yeung

SENIOR PRE-MED BIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR

ing a master’s degree to the campus culture in many American undergraduate institutions.

bread.”

But, beyond the basics, Vavalo said some of his hottest items are new. J. Michael recently stocked the store with OPI Shatter nail polish, which has been selling at an incredibly fast pace, said Jim Hicks, an assistant manager.

The female employees even wear it, Vavalo said.

Leaving a legacy Over the years, Vavalo said the staff at J. Michael has become a family. Many of the fulltime employees have been working there for more than ten years, and they’ll be the first to tell you the reason is Vavalo.

“There’s a lot to learn from him; he’s a great teacher,” Hicks said.

On the other hand, Vavalo attributes the store’s success to the golden rule: treat everyone the way you’d like to be treated. He said this is a principle the staff tries to live by.

Vavalo said the staff treats customers with the utmost respect, which is why they keep coming back.

Even after this year’s hardships, Vavalo said he believes the shop is successful and will continue to be successful as long as they take one day at a time.

His next course of action is to start making sales from the J. Michael website, he said.

Vavalo said: “If ya don’t keep swinging, you’re never gonna hit a ball.” egsawyer@syr.edu

“Families are perhaps willing to spend a little bit more to get a better quality institution. But they are increasingly focused on what the cost is, in part because the cost has grown so much.”

Mark Kantrowitz

PUBLISHER OF FAST WEB.COM

October.

Kantrowitz said this is a step in the right direction.

Said Kantrowitz: “The idea would be to somehow know exactly how much this college is going to cost you before you apply for admission, so that if the college is just out of reach you don’t even bother. Why waste your time applying to a college that might admit you, but when they admit you they deny you the financial aid you need to attend?” egsawyer@syr.edu — A previous version of this article appeared on dailyorange.com on Aug. 24.

EID AL-FITR FROM PAGE 1

first day of classes.

“It was my first day of classes and I wanted to go to my classes, so I didn’t go to the prayer in the morning,” said Uraizee, noting that he is skeptical of whether he will ever take advantage of the policy.

Yousra Aafer, an information computer science doctorate student, said she prefers the previous system rather than the new policy.

“If I had something very important to attend, like a very important class, then I don’t think I would use it,” Aafer said. “If the class is not very important, then I might just use it.”

Because there is no specific time during the day that Muslims have to observe Eid alFitr, she can commemorate the holiday later in the day, she said.

Because other religious holidays, such as Christmas, fall during vacations, Aafer said students should be given the day off for Eid alFitr instead of having a weeklong Fall Break.

Maisha Shahid, a sophomore international relations major, said she also prefers the previous system. Last year, classes were not in session on Eid al-Fitr, which allowed Shahid to return home and celebrate with her family.

This year, however, Shahid decided to stay on campus because of classes.

Shahid said: “With the new policy, even though I could get excused from classes, it’s the first week of classes, and it’s not a good idea to go home for it.” dbtruong@syr.edu

SCIENCE FROM PAGE 3

one of the very first information schools. So certainly, I’m sure, that had a little bit to do with pushing us up.”

SU has an excellent history in research and in securing funding, already supporting master’s-level students specializing in e-science and data management, Zhang said.

“It is thus very natural that we secure funding to support Ph.D.-level studies,” she said.

In addition to providing tuition for the doctorate students, the program will cover a stipend, health insurance, student research funds and travel expenses, according to the release. Remaining funds will be applied toward developing an adaptable model for the training of library science professionals and popularizing library sciences, according to the release.

SU plans to match the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ funds and aims to add one student each year once the program is established, according to the release. chlevin@syr.edu

“It may be that cultures on campus foster an experience of un-rigorous academics,” Welshans said. “In some institutions, it’s probably true we’re not giving students some of the tools they might need if they just wanted a bachelor’s degree.”

However, Welshans said, it is also dependent on the type of labor people want to engage in. Welshans is a doctorate student in English.

Her husband, who is a land surveyor, received his Bachelor of Science with a specialized degree.

“He would never need a master’s to do well in something that doesn’t need academic training,” she said. “For me, though, I always wanted

to be a college professor, and I took a Ph.D. program knowing the career I wanted necessitated it.”

Michael Elliott, a graduate student at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, decided to get his master’s degree after failing to get a journalism job with a bachelor’s degree.

“By taking another stab at it, I hope to refresh my resume and add a few more skills,” Elliott said. “I don’t think journalists take much account of M.A. degrees and as the saying goes, its effect won’t kick in until years after you pay your entry-level dues. Ask me in three years.” cabaut01@syr.edu

OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY

august 31, 2011

PAGE 5

the daily orange

IDE AS

women a nd gender

Number of myths, stereotypes target women in college

I

’m not going to lie: I love a good rumor — unless it’s about me, of course. But a number of myths float around college campuses about female students and general expectations of women that simply aren’t true.

A college campus has served as a place where women thrive and gender roles are constantly evolving and redefined. They can also feel unjust and unequal at times as a result of stereotyping and misogynistic behavior. Chauvinism is inherently in college and university culture because of the sexism ingrained in American society as a whole.

I’ve found Syracuse University to encompass a combination of both feminist and sexist attitudes, leaving female students to choose between objectification or empowerment.

A number of myths relating to young women on campus permeate college culture and Syracuse University specifically. With thousands of new students on campus, now is a better time than ever to debunk these myths.

Watching your calorie intake is not necessary because the freshman 15 is a myth. The notorious freshman 15 has the potential to cause too many eating disorders or body image issues that can be easily avoided. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in some Acropolis pizza or Insomnia Cookies as long as your diet maintains a healthy balance. There are also healthier and more fun alternatives to starving yourself — go for an evening run while the weather’s still nice or sign up for “Power Yoga” at Archbold Gym. Women’s activism is not dead. One

KRYSTIE YANDOLI

not a barbie girl of the most common misconceptions about our generation is that we’re only online, or too online for our own good.

Internet and social networking may play an integral role in our social, academic and professional interactions, but it does not limit our experiences to only online activities. Huge numbers of volunteerism and activism take place on this campus; for instance, the Vagina Monologues and Take Back the Night are two of the many activist events that draw a large physical presence from students.

Women and gender studies courses don’t encourage male bashing or hairy armpits. Although there may be some women and gender studies students who hate men and don’t like to shave their armpits, this is more often than not an extreme stereotype that scares people away from engaging in important conversations about gender. Seeking equality between all sexes, genders and sexualities has nothing to do with physical appearance, and this misconception can actually be harmful to women’s rights and equality movements.

Girls will be social outcasts for the rest of their college careers if they don’t join a sorority. Greek life is one of

many ways to find a niche and home on campus, but plenty of underclassmen women opt out of participating. It’s an effective way to meet people during your freshman and sophomore years, but do it out of genuine interest rather than peer pressure. Don’t think that it’s the only means of achieving a sense of sisterhood at SU. If you wear a short skirt, you’re asking for it. Slut shaming is all too common on college campuses and all students and faculty should highly prioritize eliminating this consistently perpetuated view. If a girl wears a short dress or a low shirt, that’s her prerogative and by no means does it qualify for any kind of sexual assault, whether it be verbal or physical. Instead of focusing on the female survivors and victims of sexual attacks and what they’re wearing, worry about the men who initiate these kinds of acts.

Girls watch sports to hang out with guys. Clearly, those who believe this kind of bull hockey have never sat in the SU student section for a basketball game, a student section similar to many others that are filled with female fans just as involved as their male counterparts. SU football, basketball and lacrosse games are all especially packed with recordbreaking numbers of students each season, and women are always at the forefront of this fan base. I’m pretty sure I know a chick or two who can debate any guy on campus about the intricacies of college basketball.

SCRIBBLE

Krystie Yandoli is a senior women and gender studies major.

Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at klyandol@syr.edu.

Important change to religious observance policy needs better promotion

A

s part of a new religious observance policy at Syracuse University, students will have to fill out the days they intend to miss class for religious holidays via an electronic form on MySlice.

SU introduced the new system after reinstating classes on three religious holidays in exchange for a longer Thanksgiving break.

The electronic system provides

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EDITORIAL

a clearer and of attendance streamlined trends, which by the daily orange editorial method for telling could prove board professors which useful in the classes students future. will miss due to religious obserSU has done little to publicize vances. It alleviates some of the incon- the change, aside from relying on venience the administration caused professors to include in their syllabi by reinstating classes. The electronic or draw attention to it in class. Not all method also provides the colleges and syllabi include the new statement and individual professors with a database some students have attended two days

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of classes with little mention of the change, if any at all. Professors must inform their students before the week is up, as they’ll only have a week left to fill out the online forms.

Professors who have decided to ignore the new system and still insist on a personalized written statement or verbal agreement complicate the process for students already under tight time constraints. The best way

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Amrita Mainthia

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MANAGING EDITOR

to prevent miscommunication is to adhere to a unified system. Students who have filled out the online forms should double check with professors to confirm the dates, as the new system may be prone to glitches.

A university office involved in the system change should send out an email in the coming days alerting students to the online format, as student have yet to receive an official notification.

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news@ da ilyor a nge.com

ask the experts

How have the debt ceiling negotiations affected college students?

“One of the hidden conflicts is the generational conflict, the aging of the population and the demands that this puts on the population — on health care, Medicare, social security. It all creates challenges for the young generation. The government deficit also shows that people are really constraining with what they can do in terms of funding.”

By Marwa Eltagouri STAFF WRITER

Raising the U.S. federal government’s debt ceiling is usually a routine matter; the Bush administration raised it several times. Yet, last month, this regular policy took an interesting turn, quickly developing into a full-fledged financial crisis.

The vote on raising the debt ceiling became the center of conflict between the Republicans — who recently took control of the House — and President Obama and the Democrats controlling the Senate.

A majority of Republicans were initially against increasing taxes and proposed larger spending cuts while Democrats favored tax increases with smaller spending cuts.

On July 31, a deal to raise the debt ceiling was announced. The House approved the compromise debt-ceiling bill Aug. 1 and the Senate approved it Aug. 2. That same day, Obama signed the bill and sent a formal request to Congress to lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, instantly giving the U.S. Treasury $400 billion in additional borrowing power.

The Daily Orange asked the experts, “How have the debt ceiling negotiations affected college students?” meltagou@syr.edu

Kristi Andersen

PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

“The economy is very weak right now, with 9 percent unemployment, and it’s gonna go up. Part of what keeps us in a recession is that people have lost faith in the economy, and anything that shakes consumer or business confidence could make things worse and push us into a deeper recession. This affects the generation of students because, well, they’re out looking for jobs.”

Leonard Burman

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROFESSOR

“If we don’t deal with our federal debt in a timely manner, it’s going to affect our longterm economic growth, and that’ll immediately affect this generation especially — you won’t have the same job opportunities nor will you have the same standard of living.”

John Palmer

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AT THE CAMPBELL PUBLIC AFFAIRS INSTITUTE AT THE MA X WELL SCHOOL OF CITIZENSHIP AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

CIT Y

news@ da ilyor a nge.com

augus t 31, 2 011

7

Missing the

mark

Budget issues, poor classroom performance cause Syracuse City School District to make round of changes

By Heather Wentz

T

STAFF WRITER

he Syracuse City School District is in a state of flux. After consistently underperforming in the classroom and state testing, the district was forced to make some major changes to try and jump-start low-performing schools.

Over the past five months, the district has hired a new superintendent, cut 463 jobs, transferred 158 employees, closed a middle school, renegotiated contracts for all types of goods and services, and reduced contractual e x p e n d it u r e s ,

said the district’s Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Slack.

Slack said the district’s budget was cut significantly for the 2011-12 school year and one of the reasons is because the Syracuse city budget was cut as well.

“One way to get through the budget crises was to reduce funding, the biggest one being for education,” Slack said.

The 2011-12 district budget is around $335 million — about $20 million less than the 2010-11 budget of $355 million — and puts the district at the 2006-07 spending amount, Slack said.

With the budget cuts, the district was forced to make some significant changes. School Board President Richard Strong said the 463 job cuts were strictly for financial reasons.

“There’s always been an argument that we were overstaffed, so the job cuts were purely a financial move,” Strong said.

As far as transferring teachers within the district, Strong said they had no choice.

“When you have consistently low-performing schools, you move staff around. It’s just the way it goes,” Strong said. “It’s not like I have a backup quarterback. If I have to remove an English teacher to go to another school, that’s what I have to do. I can’t fire that person because we don’t have that ability.”

And the state Department of Education brought more bad news for the district Aug. 8 by releasing state standardized test scores for third through eighth graders.

On average, only 22.5 percent of Syracuse City School District students in grades three through eight met or exceeded the state standard on the English tests, while 25.3 percent of those students reached or exceeded the state target in math.

Syracuse had lower test scores than other urban districts across the state, including Buffalo and Rochester. In Rochester, 24.4 percent of third through eighth graders met the state target in English and 29.4 percent hit the mark in math. Statewide, 52.8 percent met the stan-

dard in English, while 63.3 percent reached or surpassed the target in math.

But Gerald Mager, associate dean of the Syracuse University’s School of Education, said that the district’s poor performance is not something that has happened overnight and, in turn, will take time to fix.

“Kids spend 12 to 14 years in school and their patterns of achievement are set early on in their experience,” Mager said. “When a child reaches 18 and is not in college, it didn’t happen when they turned 17. It’s all about longterm success.”

With the changes made over the past five months, all eyes have turned to the district and its new superintendent, Sharon Contreras.

Strong said Contreras has a 100-day plan to jump-start the district and start improving the under-performing schools. He said it is her responsibility to come in and evaluate the situation throughout the next 100 days and figure out what needs to be done.

In Contreras’ 100-day plan, as detailed on the district’s website, she is going to “meet with the district’s instructional leadership team to discuss achievement data” and “identify chronically under-performing schools, conduct a root cause analysis for low performance, then determine a course of corrective action.”

Strong emphasized that keeping the students involved in school-related activities under teacher supervision is imperative for the students’ success.

“Extending the school year through summer camps is key,” Strong said. “The longer they have them the more successful they will be.”

Strong also mentioned the importance of parental involvement and how it needs to be stronger moving forward to improve the probability of student success.

“An engaged parent should know what their job requirements are,” Strong said. “Get their child to bed on time and help discipline the child to keep them focused on tasks.”

the portion of the building leased to SU, according to The Post-Standard article.

A new, larger bookstore on University Avenue would be a little less congested than the current bookstore and would benefit the school and other vendors, said Christine Yankou, a senior political science major. A new fitness center would also be beneficial because students wouldn’t have to

travel too far to go, Yankou said.

Walsh said he hopes a decision is made in the future that acknowledges the value of the project to the Syracuse community.

He said: “There is value to getting a bigger, better bookstore with more private retail options.”

hawentz@syr.edu

illustration by emmett baggett | art director

CAMERON GROUP FROM PAGE 1

discussions take place in attempts to arrive at a mutually agreeable decision for the proposed project because the problem comes down to a basic issue of taxation, he said.

Walsh said it is hoped the request will be presented again at the SIDA board meeting Sept. 20.

There is flexibility in a payment-in-lieu-oftaxes agreement for the project, Walsh said.

Tom Valenti, a partner of Cameron Group, offered to pay a one-time fee of $250,000 to the city of Syracuse in exchange for a PILOT agreement with a 30-year property tax exemption on

brvannos@syr.edu

WEDNESDAY

august

PAGE 9

31, 2011

the daily orange

Swapping stories E

By Kathleen Kim FEATURE EDITOR

cstatic to start his summer internship with WDBJ-7, the local CBS affiliate TV station in his hometown of Roanoke, Va., David Kaplan chatted with professor Barbara Fought about the story ideas he planned to cultivate during his 10-week stint. The associate professor of broadcast and digital journalism mentioned Orange Report, a studentdriven blog site, and suggested he post about his summer experience.

“It seemed like a cool way to show off what you were doing over the summer,” said Kaplan, a senior broadcast and digital journalism major.

At the end of his internship, Kaplan posted “My Summer as a Reporter,” summing up his 20 videos that WDBJ-7 aired. Curious about the other posts on Nina Morrissey Winner of Best Reports the site, he browsed through its archives.

Blog: “The Haiti MisThere was Aaron Frank, a sophomore sion: Connecting the television, film and radio major who Future” worked as an emergency medical technician for six weeks in Tel Aviv, weaving through the city in an ambulance. Amy Snider, a junior history and political science major, created handmade instruments with kindergarten and first-graders in a Say Yes to Education Summer Camp program. Another student, senior graphic design and Spanish major Rachel Tjornehoj, traveled to Georgetown University and learned about different faiths at the four-day Interfaith Youth Core Leadership Institute.

“I was just blown away by how many fascinating things people were doing,” Kaplan said. “It was cool to see what other students were up to and how they were applying what they were learning at school to the real world.”

The idea of Orange Report is based on CNN’s iReport, a citizen journalism initiative in which people report on their communities, said Jill Ouikahilo, communications director for the Division of Student Affairs. The mission of Orange Report reflects Scholarship in Action, one

Katherine Smith

Winner of Most Viewed Blog: “Scholarship in Asia”

the sweet stuff in the middle

Site allows students to share, compare summer experiences

Dayglow attracts interest

By Noah Silverstein STAFF WRITER

of Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s initiatives: taking what you learned in college and using that knowledge to better your community.

The project is a cross-campus collaboration that links Student Affairs, Career Services, the Office of Residence Life and the Office of Student Activities, Ouikahilo said. By using SU social media channels, Facebook and Twitter, they invited all students to participate.

“And oftentimes, we are telling their stories, so we wanted them to tell their own stories,” Ouikahilo said.

On June 29, the first post went up on the site, welcoming students to hop on. The site also set up a contest in which the winners with the most views would attend a lecture in the University Lecture Series of their choice, take personal photos and have a formal dinner with the guest lecturer.

The next day, the first student post went up on the Joshua Frackleton site. At the end of the contest, 17 students participated as Orange Reporters and 30 reports were Winner of Best Reports Video: “Life is Awesubmitted. The site received nearly 7,000 page some” views and more than 650 votes.

On Aug. 29, four winners were announced.

Kaplan’s post nabbed a win in the Most Viewed Video category. Along with Kaplan, there were three other winners.

Best Reports Video winner, Josh Frackleton, a senior television, radio and film major who posted “Life is Awesome,” has yet to pick a lecture to attend.

While winning the contest has its perks, Frackleton said he values the new perspective he gained about his craft. The student filmmaker, whose niche is comedy, said the project that meant the most to him is a campaign video for an elementary school that induced its faculty to tears. The project shifted his mindset as a filmmaker.

“I’m probably going to do a lot more documentaries and public service work because it’s more rewarding to do something for others rather than just for yourself,” he said.

For junior industrial and interaction design major Nina Morrissey, whose blog “The Haiti Mission: Connecting the Future” won Best Reports Blog, the site acted as an effective way to knock down any misconceptions about Haiti.

Morrissey spent one week this summer traveling to Haiti with

SEE ORANGE REPORT PAGE 12

David Kaplan

Winner of Most Viewed Video: “My Summer as a Reporter”

It’s not every day when you have paint thrown at you while simultaneously dancing along to electronic music.

But then there’s Dayglow.

Dayglow, known as “The World’s Largest Paint Party,” will kick off its Dayglow BLU (Beats, Love, Unity) tour at Syracuse’s Oncenter on Friday.

Founded by Committee Entertainment in 2006, Dayglow began on college campuses in Florida as an event combining paint and electronic music.

Due to its popularity, it has toured nationwide, featuring performances by some of the most popular DJs in the music industry.

This tour will differ from previous Dayglow tours, according to the website. Hosted by Emir Duru, the tour will feature blue paint for the first time and a new lineup of musical talent: electronica artists Steve Aoki, DJ Diplo, Laidback Luke and Chuckie, among others. Chuckie, The Devil from Acapulco, David Solano and Wildchild World will perform live shows.

Emily Kingston is excited for the large-scale paint party but doesn’t know what exactly to expect.

“I heard about it from one of my friends from back home who said it was a lot of fun,” said Kingston, a junior public relations and policy studies dual major. “I’ve been listening to some of the DJs who’ve played at Dayglow. I’m really excited to see who’s playing at the Syracuse show and to experience the paint that I’ve heard a lot about.”

The Syracuse show promises a turnout in the thousands. While the event is sold out on the Dayglow website, interested partygoers can venture onto Stubhub.com and Craigslist.com. Some ticket package choices for students include a VIP package, complete with a shirt and paint. The suggested attire for the event is all white.

Dayglow’s past tours have averaged 5,000 attendees in cities across the country, including Washington, D.C., Miami and New York City, where Hunter Abrams, a sophomore fine arts major at New York University, went to a show.

“It was everything I love all put together in one explosive, beautiful event,” Abrams said. “I love paint and I love electronic music. What else could someone ask for?” nbsilver@syr.edu

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splice

augus t 31, 2 011

11

every thursday in pulp

E C N U D Not your

Paul Rudd’s portrayal of buffoon brother renders solid comedy

average idiot

A

By Sam Littman STAFF WRITER

s comedies become increasingly over-reliant on flashy, high-concept premises, “Our Idiot Brother” director Jesse Peretz has a novel idea: have Paul Rudd pack on twenty pounds, grow a shaggy beard and play the fool for 90 minutes.

Frequently starring alongside members of the “frat pack,” a class of comedic superstars including Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, Rudd has never had the freedom to exercise his full potential as a comedic actor in a leading role. Often pigeonholed as the lead straight man, Rudd finally gets to channel his infectious comic energy under the guidance of Peretz. He gives the comedian the leeway to let loose as the lovable loser with previously dormant charisma, and it’s the best performance of his career.

Ned (Rudd), a wayfarer and occasional farmer of legally ambiguous crops, is the idiot brother of Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) and Liz (Emily Mortimer), who all have promising careers and stable love lives. After he’s arrested for selling pot to a uniformed police officer, Ned returns to his farm to find that his girlfriend has found another man and, more importantly, has retained custody of Ned’s best companion, his dog, Willie Nelson. Dejected, Ned makes his way home to reconnect with his family.

Ned’s sisters are all very fond of him, but when Ned’s big mouth and constant lapses in judgment threaten to ruin their tenuous long-term relationships, Ned finds himself on the verge of rejection by the

only people that have perpetually stood by him. Dead set on resolving the problems he caused between his sisters and their lovers and on retrieving Willie Nelson from the clutches of his scheming exgirlfriend, Ned has an ideal opportunity to redeem himself and prove that while he might not be sharp as a sword, he’s certainly as sweet as can be.

The cohesive assembly of actresses surrounding Rudd bolsters the story mightily, rescuing what might have been an entirely one-dimensional comedy. Although the sisters — Banks, Deschanel and Mortimer — are brighter than their not-so-smart sibling, they noticeably share his heart.

However, this is Rudd’s movie and he doesn’t waste a single gesture or mannerism in what might be his meatiest role yet.

Rudd keenly understands Ned’s simple motivations, portraying him less as a harmless imbecile and more like a symbol of gentle simplicity. Ned thoroughly enjoys his unexciting, unpretentious existence, reveling like a child in banal family gatherings and romps with his golden retriever. Rudd is never overzealous nor does he have any ulterior motives for the character; he is content to play the buffoon to perfection.

The film is neither funny enough nor sufficiently engrossing throughout to warrant inclusion among the year’s finest comedies. While Rudd and his sisters are always entertaining, none have the capacity to push the comedy — and the occasional drama — to the fantastic extremes that audiences pine for.

Despite the shortcomings, one of the great charms of “Our Idiot Brother” is Peretz’s execution of the very elementary

“OUR IDIOT BROTHER” Director: Jesse Peretz

Cast: Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Zooey Deschanel Rating:

premise. The film isn’t the least bit ambitious. It does not aspire to be more than a fun and heartwarming comedy. By those meager but acceptable standards, it’s a rousing success.

3.5/5 Popcorns

smlittma@syr.edu

http://outdoored.syr.edu

Whitewater Rafting September 4, 5, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 2011 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sign-up Deadline:

Wednesday at Noon before each weekend trip date

Price:

$35.00 (SU / ESF Undergraduate Students)

$70.00 (All Other SU/ESF ID card holders) Time:

Bus leaves SU’s College Place at 10:30am and returns at approximately 6:30pm

What is included:

Roundtrip transportation from SU’s College Place (near the bus stop) to Watertown, rafting and safety equipment, training, gear and wet suits (if needed); guided trips; three hours on the water (depending on water level),est r stop on the water with snacks and drinks; a barbecue dinner after the trip.

What to bring:

A Valid SU/ESF ID card

A positive, fun attitude (You will paddle and get wet).

A change of clothes and dry footwear.

A windbreaker or fleece for the river.

Water booties, tevas, aqua socks or an old pair of sneakers.

Any medications you would normally take throughout the day (e.g. asthma inhaler) Money (if you would like to buy pictures of your trip or tip your River Guide)

What to leave home: Any valuables you do not want to lose (jewelry, cell phone, etc.)

Register and pay online with a credit card at: http://recreationservices.syr.edu/recstore Department of Recreation Services, Room 241, Archbold Gym Call 443-4386 (4FUN) for more info.

This program is funded by the Undergraduate Co-Curricular Fee

http://outdoored.syr.edu

12 a u g u s t 3 1 , 2 0 1 1

pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

After four years, the time to grow up has come

S

omething horrible has happened.

I realized it Saturday night. I was walking past a pack of freshmen guys on my way to Marshall Street when I heard two of them planning an after-hours party in their double on the Mount. The event sounded like a full-on bonanza, complete with closetdoor beer pong, the Skrillex Pandora station, a resident adviser lookout post and, maybe, even a girl or two.

As I listened to their grand plans I realized that none of it sounded fun to me. I used to be the king of residence hall ragers, but two years have passed since my last dorm party and I’ve outgrown my desire to attend one.

After three years of college, my worst fear has come true: I’ve grown up.

My newfound oldness isn’t limited to nightlife either. I live in a house now, cook my own meals and work full-time. I even watch the History Channel sometimes to relive bits of my childhood.

Now, to most people my age, maturity is a

DANNY FERSH

f*** it, we’ll do it live welcomed trait. The sooner we stop drinking Natty Light and laughing at poop jokes, the sooner some CEO will think we’re employee material.

For me, however, maturity is the end of my life as I know it. You see, I’ve been writing this humor column since some of you were still high school sophomores, and I should have run out of funny material years ago. After all, it takes a sick, twisted and phenomenally immature person to write jokes about this campus week after week after week.

That used to be me.

Now, I’m just a Joe six-pack, living my

boring life like the rest of Americans, hoping to get by. I don’t appreciate humorous things anymore because I see the world through adult eyes.

Poop jokes? Not funny. Will Ferrell movies?

Lame. Practical jokes? Bo-ring. Heck, somebody could go jogging in parachute pants, slip on a banana peel, fart in midair and land facefirst in a pan of cream pie right in front of me, and I still wouldn’t laugh. I’m a real person now. I have a job with clients. I’m considering buying a Volvo.

There must be some cure for this disease that would allow me to continue living the lifestyle to which I am accustomed. After all, there are plenty of old men in my family who still play “pull my finger” every time I see them. How do they maintain their immaturity after all these years? Is there a fountain of youth somewhere in my family tree? Or maybe a pile of Adam Sandler DVDs next to it?

Unfortunately, I’ve had no luck finding either, and the semester has already begun.

I guess I’ll just have to entertain my readers with intellectual, highbrow humor that uses wit and irony to both teach and entertain the masses. It might take some getting used to, but eventually, you will grow up and appreciate mature humor, too.

Just kidding. Get ready for a semester of poop jokes.

Danny Fersh is a senior broadcast journalism major, and his columns appear every Wednesday. Don’t worry — he thinks farts, puke, snot, boogers and mucus are all hilarious, too. Email him at dafersh@ syr.edu and follow him on Twitter at @ fershprince.

ORANGE REPORT FROM PAGE 9

a group of SU faculty and students to connect Wi-Fi at a local university.

“A lot of people said, ‘Are you crazy? I hear it’s really dangerous.’ There was kind of a lot of stigma behind it,” she said. “But when I went, there was never a point when I was afraid.”

At the end of her trip, she compiled posts from the group’s personal blog to place on Orange Report’s site to recount her time in Haiti and disclose the insight she gained there.

Sophomore advertising major Katherine Smith spent two months in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as an intern at advertising company Draftfcb. Smith, whose “Scholarship in Asia” won Most Viewed Blog, said she found the Syracuse oriented stories intriguing.

One particular post that stuck out in her mind was by junior broadcast journalism major Durrie Bouscaren, who recounted her time spent reporting on the South Side of Syracuse, working at a local news station, covering crime and revealing the harsh side of the city.

“It wasn’t just an academic experience, it was a life experience,” she said. “It really moved me.”

Now that summer has ended, the blog has halted. Though nothing is planned out, Ouikahilo said she hopes to expand the summer project to the fall.

“Students are doing things all year round, so we’d love for them to report and tell us what they’re learning and how they’re utilizing their knowledge,” she said. “We’re definitely open to student ideas and really want to know if the student interest is there to keep it going.” kkim40@syr.edu

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

augus t 31, 2 011

13

big e a st no t ebook

Graham brings up-tempo offense to Pittsburgh in 1st season

By Ryne Gery

Asst. Sports Editor

Todd Graham was in awe of Rich Rodriguez’s no-huddle offense. As the East Central defensive coordinator tried to contain Rodriguez’s Glenville State team in the 1993 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship, he was captivated by the fast-paced system.

So captivated that he adopted the system as his own when he moved on to coach high school football the next season.

“I was just fascinated with the no-huddle system,” Graham said in the Big East coaches’ teleconference Monday. “Wound up going back and coaching high school, took that everywhere I’ve been a head coach, been a no-huddle team.”

Over the years, Graham has developed the no-huddle offense, picking up ideas and tweaking it with other coaches he has worked with throughout his career. The fast-paced approach has become his trademark as a head coach.

And after spending the last four years at Tulsa, Graham is bringing his high-scoring attack to Pittsburgh.

Graham was hired to replace Mike Haywood, who was fired just 17 days into his tenure in January following an arrest on a domestic violence charge. The new head coach has had success as a head coach at the high school level as well as at Rice and Tulsa. Now, he gets his chance to prove himself at the Bowl Championship Series level in the Big East.

And he’s planning to use that same relentless pace to do it.

“It’s about being physical and about mentally and physically wearing the opponent out,” Graham said.

Russ

f rom page 16

sure everyone was flying to the ball. If they weren’t, they were going to have to explain why to Russ.

“That’s one of the things coach Russ harped on, is getting all 11 guys to the ball,” Davis said.

“You needed to be in that last frame when the film went off.”

While the Orange struggled that season, the foundation for the current Syracuse defensive improvements was paved. When he was at SU, Russ ran multiple defenses, but he mostly stuck to a 4-3 scheme, the same type the Orange currently runs under defensive coordinator Scott Shafer.

Last season, Syracuse had the No. 7 defense in the nation.

Under Russ in 2007, the Orange wasn’t close

Though Graham’s teams are known for piling up yards and scoring points in bunches, his coaching journey started on the other side of the ball. He served as a defensive coordinator at East Central from 1991 to 1993 and then coached high school football for seven years. He returned to the college game in 2001 as a linebackers coach at West Virginia under the same Rich Rodriguez from Glenville State.

Graham was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2002. His responsibilities expanded, and it was now his job to have the defense ready to play each week.

Former West Virginia safety Angel Estrada said Graham was always prepared, often knowing what plays opposing offenses were going to run in certain situations.

In 2002, Graham watched from upstairs in the coaches booth as the Rutgers offense stayed on the field for a 4th-and-1 on the RU 37-yard line.

Desperation had set in for the Scarlet Knights as they trailed West Virginia 26-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter in 2002. They had to go for it.

Graham noted the formation and signaled an aggressive call to the sideline. He already knew Rutgers was going to run a short pass play designed to hit the fullback in the flat.

Graham was right. Thirty-seven yards later, Estrada was in the end zone after intercepting the Rutgers pass, putting a stamp on the 40-0 Mountaineers victory.

“I baited it and just came underneath, picked it off, intercepted the ball and took it for a touchdown,” Estrada said.

The unforgiving play call is part of Graham’s coaching mentality. Estrada said Graham and the

West Virginia coaching staff stressed finishing everything they did. Practices were harder than games during Estrada’s career at West Virginia.

It’s a mentality Graham has carried throughout his coaching career. And it’s a key part of his hectic approach, which aims to keep the opposing team from catching its breath.

Former Tulsa safety James Lockett said playing for Graham starts with intense training sessions to get into shape. From running suicides adapted to the football field to gassers to shuttle runs, the team was always running.

And at practice, Graham never let the players get comfortable, challenging them to stay competitive at all times. All the running was exhausting for Lockett and his teammates, but it was all worth it come game day.

“It really goes back to our training and us wanting to create a fifth quarter,” Graham said.

Tulsa created that “fifth quarter” during Graham’s four-year run, which saw the 2007 and 2008 teams lead the nation in total offense.

Lockett said that explosive offense not only prepared the defense for any team it faced, but it was also a thrill to watch from the sidelines.

“It’s real exciting to see,” Lockett said. “And it just motivates you to give them the ball back as soon as you can to see them score again and light up the scoreboard.”

Graham’s teams have been lighting up the scoreboard since he took the no-huddle as his own in 1993. Since East Central beat Glenville State 49-35 in that national championship game, Graham has perfected his own form of the system.

And as he takes it to Pittsburgh, his goal is to make opposing defensive coordinators feel how

to earning that distinction. But while the Orange couldn’t manage to find the results it was looking for in 2007, preparation was never lacking.

“Steve was one of those detailed oriented guys,” former Syracuse assistant coach Chris White said. “He comes from a military background at Air Force. He likes to have fun, but he’s very serious about football. He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to preparation.”

Russ moved to the other side of the ball when he went to Wake Forest, coaching tight ends and fullbacks in 2008 and 2009, before going back to defense as the linebackers’ coach last season.

Prior to this season, Demon Deacons head coach Jim Grobe, who was an assistant coach on the Air Force staff when Russ was a player, put Russ in charge of the secondary.

In his first season with the Wake Forest defense in 2010, Russ watched the Demon Deacons

struggle to tackle and fail to force turnovers.

And time and time again, he looked on from the sidelines as opponents succeeded on third downs.

“I think it was part of youth. And part of youth comes guys aren’t physically ready, not as mature as veterans,” Russ said. “I think that caught up to us a little bit, and at times we didn’t play well. We had some shots at games, and some of the wounds we incurred were self inflicted.”

Wake Forest went 3-9 last season and gave up more than 50 points in three games. Russ’ linebacker corps started two seniors, both backed up by freshmen and sophomores. There was no depth.

Russ said he sees a difference in the way the defensive players are “going about their business” this season. Of the years he has been at Wake Forest, he said it’s the best defense he has seen.

“I don’t think that there’s anyone on our schedule that we’re not capable of playing really

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED On campus before the SU/Rhode Island football game

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

(First place votes in parentheses)

Rank

Team

1 West Virginia (21) 2 Pittsburgh (2) 3 South Florida (1) 4 Syracuse 5 Cincinnati 6 Connecticut 7 Louisville 8 Rutgers

Points

188 162 151 98 96 76 60 33

he did when he first saw Rodriguez running the no-huddle.

“I think everything we do on offense (is) what I hated to defend,” Graham said. “We try to be very sound about what we’re doing.”

Connecticut delays season opener due to effects of Tropical Storm Irene Connecticut has postponed its first game of the season because its stadium is being used in relief efforts for Tropical Storm Irene. The Huskies were scheduled to play Fordham on Thursday night at Rentschler Field.

The National Guard is providing food and water to those in need at the stadium and loading delivery trucks with supplies for shelters across the state. Connecticut has suffered through hundreds of thousands of power outages and flooding since Irene hit on Sunday.

The school has not announced another date for the game, but the UConn Athletics website said it is “hopeful” that the game will be Saturday. rjgery@syr.edu

well against.” Russ said. “... It’s just one of those deals that you keep your focus on going out there and playing your very, very best, controlling the things that you can control.”

Wake Forest can’t get much worse than it was last season, ranking 101st in the country in total defense. With Russ on the defensive side for the second year at Wake Forest, it will benefit from his experience and maturity.

If what Russ witnessed in preseason holds true, then the Demon Deacons should be able to scratch out a few more wins.

It’s possible that this could be the year where Russ’ intense dedication to detail and preparation could actually breed results on the field.

“Our guys are really working hard to be much better than they were last year,” Russ said. “I think we’re excited about where we’re heading.” cjiseman@syr.edu

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w o m e n ’s s o c c e r

Strong offseason leaves SU prepared, well-conditioned

By David Propper Staff Writer

When Phil Wheddon scheduled Syracuse to open the season in Florida, the head coach was already thinking about conference play and the challenges that come with it. The steaming temperatures would provide an extra obstacle for his team to play through.

“When we’re faced with some different adversity when we play some of these Big East teams, it could be scorching hot,” Wheddon said. “You could be playing on turf, you could be playing in some very adverse conditions. If we can do that in Florida, we can do that anywhere.”

SU did perform in the adverse conditions in Fort Myers, Fla., splitting its two games at the Embassy Suites Kick Off Classic. Wheddon was impressed the Orange was able to bounce back and beat Florida Gulf Coast in the afternoon heat Sunday after dropping its first game to Robert Morris on Friday.

The Orange was well prepared for the conditions following a spring and summer focused on getting in shape. Wheddon stressed the importance of coming into the season in game shape to the players before they went away for the summer.

The head coach said the Orange took his advice to heart and came in ready for that early-season challenge in Florida.

SU sophomore goalkeeper Brittany Anghel knows Wheddon could have picked several tournaments to start off the 2011 season rather than having the team travel down to Florida, but she also understands the reasoning behind it.

“I feel like Phil could’ve picked a more climatefriendly place like Connecticut or something where it wasn’t so hot,” Anghel said. “But I think he did it intentionally to put us in those adverse conditions.”

Although playing in 90-degree heat wasn’t fun, the Orange knows it will only benefit from it in the long run.

For Wheddon, in his fourth year as head coach, playing in rugged conditions is a trend he expects his team to go through all season. And the Florida tournament should help SU overcome additional roadblocks.

“If we can play in that heat, we can play in the cold, we can play when it’s raining, thunder and lightning — well, maybe not thunder and lightning,” Anghel said.

Even though SU started off the season playing in its most strenuous conditions, Wheddon didn’t have to run them any harder than the past few falls. Most came into preseason already training in top shape.

Wheddon said his players came in fit this year, as many followed an offseason exercise packet devised by the strength and conditioning coaches.

He made it clear in the spring that the preseason is needed to gel as a unit rather than to get into shape.

And Wheddon has noticed a difference in the team at this point compared to previous seasons.

“In past years, that’s been a bit of a struggle,” Wheddon said. “This year everybody came in super fit.”

With that plan followed by almost everyone, Wheddon had the flexibility to concentrate on plenty of on-the-ball drills and game situations.

Brittany Kinmond, a sophomore forward who has scored SU’s lone goal this season, said that spring practices before the summer really set the tone for what was expected come preseason.

All the intense training that Wheddon put them through in the spring served as a wake-up call.

“Our spring was a lot harder,” Kinmond said.

“So I think we all knew exactly where we needed to be fitness-wise coming in.”

With that fitness, Wheddon knows his team can play against anything thrown its way. The plan all along was to force this team into adverse conditions so nothing shocks them by the time Big East opponents are up.

And with SU set to take on four teams ranked in the Top 25 this season, that ability to adapt developed in the spring and in Florida will serve the team well in a competitive Big East conference.

“I think that helps for sure. I wouldn’t say we have a upperhand. I think everyone of these Big East teams is a very, very good team. It’s one of the best conferences in the country,” Wheddon said.

“I wouldn’t say we have an upper hand, but we’ll be better prepared.” dgproppe@syr.edu

This sudoku... ...is a happy, bouncy elf.

bobby yarbrough | contributing photgrapher mark brode (center) and Syracuse opened their season Saturday with a 1-0 loss at Colgate. SU will look to earn its first victory of 2011 against Canisius Thursday.

offense f rom page 16

clock management. But he also said the team needs to move the ball quicker. The Orange gave the ball away cheaply too many times in the loss to Colgate.

Suffice to say the team faces a lot of challenges in just its second game of the season.

But that doesn’t deter McIntyre.

“If it was one thing, we’d fix it and move on,” he said. “It’s always both positively and negatively a number of things we’ll be working on. And we worked on them today in practice, and we’ll do the same again.”

There’s also communication, senior goalkeeper Phil Boerger said, and getting the ball into the forward’s feet.

Those are areas the team struggled with in the Colgate game and ones that the team expects to fix come Thursday. Syracuse failed to put a shot on net against a Raiders team it scored three goals against last year.

“Hopefully, we’ll have more shots,” Boerger said. “We only had three, I think, on Saturday with none on goal, so we’re definitely expecting a lot more offensive production.”

Thursday will be the first of eight home games for the new players and a chance to redeem a 5-1 season-opening loss at home last year. But they’ll likely need to score more than one goal to do so.

For Brode and his teammates, it’s important that the Orange get a win early in the season, especially for a team that had two separate six- and seven-game winless streaks last year.

“Obviously, we’re doing better than last year when we lost to Siena 5-1,” Brode said.

“But we didn’t play well against Canisius

Quick Hits Last 3

Aug. 19 Aug. 22 Aug. 27

Herkimer County CC* W, 4-0 @ Le Moyne* W, 3-0 @ Colgate L, 1-0

*Exhibition

Next 3

Thursday Canisius Sunday @ Siena Sept. 8 Adelphi

7 p.m. noon 7 p.m.

Outlook

After a 1-0 loss to Colgate in its season opener, Syracuse will look to notch its first win and first goal of the year Thursday against Canisius. The Orange, coming off a 2-10-5 season in 2010, went winless against all three of its next opponents a year ago. The Orange opened last season with back-to-back losses against Siena (5-1) and Adelphi (1-0). Later in the year, the Orange tied Canisius 1-1. The three games will provide a solid barometer of the shape of this year’s team. last year, so it’ll be good for us to come out and get a result against them and get a little payback because we thought we were a better team. We just didn’t pull it off last year.”

To McIntyre, though, winning isn’t everything. If the team improves its offense and plays his style of soccer well, the winning will come eventually.

“I guess in athletics we’re measured in wins,” McIntyre said, “but if we take care of the small things and we take care of details and we play our style of soccer, we’ll get chances, and then with chances, the opportunity to win games.” rnmarcus@ syr.edu

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15

WEDNESDAY

august 31, 2011

SPORTS

PAGE 16

the daily orange

m e n ’s s o c c e r

SU looks for more firepower

By Rachel Marcus STAFF WRITER

courtesy of brian westerholt | sports on film STEVE RUSS (CENTER) and Wake Forest will enter the Carrier Dome Thursday night with hopes of spoiling SU’s season opener. The former Syracuse assistant coach and defensive coordinator enter his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Demon Deacons.

Searching for success

Former SU assistant Russ struggles despite ideal coaching instincts

By Chris Iseman

to have a brief four-year career in the NFL with the Denver Broncos — winning two Super Bowls in the early two decades ago, Steve Russ was a process — he ultimately moved on to the sidelines. coach on the field. When the Air Force scout Russ is known for his attention to detail and by-theteam failed to execute its plays properly, the book style of coaching that requires players to focus linebacker would instruct the group while playing on the smallest aspects of the game. Though Russ’ his own position. defenses have failed to find success, his knowledge While the graduate assistants in charge of coach- has never been questioned. ing the practice unit had to ask the coaches what the That’s why when Knorr got his first head coachplayers were supposed to do, Russ had the playbook ing job at Ohio, he knew exactly who to call to ask to engrained in his mind. join his staff.

He didn’t accept any missed details.

“His attention to detail, just the kind of young “He was a tremendous student of the game,” said man he was,” Knorr said. “Ideally, I think that’s what Brian Knorr, then-Air Force assistant coach and any coach would want on his staff.” current Wake Forest co-defensive coordinator. “I Russ coached at Ohio immediately after leaving think that was the biggest thing. Just how demand- the NFL, before going on to coach at Syracuse and ing as a player, demanding scout teams run their now at Wake Forest. Russ coached a struggling 2007 plays right.”

SU defense as defensive coordinator before leaving Even when he was a player all those years ago, for a coaching position with the Demon Deacons.

Russ was a coach in the making. While he went on Russ — currently Wake Forest’s secondary coach — will return to Syracuse Thursday night when Steve Russ has spent 11 seasons on college coaching staffs. Here’s a look at the coaching stops Russ made both before and after his playing days with the SU takes on Wake Denver Broncos: Forest in the Carrier Dome.

YEARS SCHOOL POSITION 1995 Air Force Graduate assistant, strength coach But while his 2001-03 Ohio Linebackers coach football acumen is 2004 Ohio Linebackers coach, special teams coordinator as sharp as needed 2005-06 Syracuse Linebackers coach to develop a domi2007 Syracuse Defensive coordinator nant defense, that 2008-09 Wake Forest Tight ends and fullbacks coach hasn’t happened.

2010 Wake Forest Linebackers coach Not yet, at 2011 Wake Forest Secondary coach

N

STAFF WRITER

COACHING CAREER

least.

The Orange had one of its worst seasons in 2007, going 2-10 and yielding an average of nearly 35 points per game. The poor showing was mostly due to a lack of experience at nearly every position on the defensive side of the ball. Syracuse gave up 418 points that season, the most in program history.

The consistent failure at SU began to wear on Russ’ psyche. He forced his players to execute every detail of the play to perfection, and they did, in practice. But the results never surfaced in front of a crowd.

“I think everybody on that staff went above and beyond. I thought the kids went above and beyond,” Russ said. “Of course, when you’re doing things like that, when you’re working hard like that, and you’re putting forth that kind of effort, the kids are putting forth that kind of effort, obviously losing’s frustrating.”

Dowayne Davis was one of the bright spots of that season’s defense, helping to anchor the unit as a strong safety and cornerback. The former SU standout, who had a brief professional career with three different teams, remembers Russ always walking around the field with the same serious expression on his face.

Russ demanded every member of the team get to the ball in every play. And he followed up on it to make sure they did, too.

The Syracuse defense would sit nervously watching the screen every film session. They would survey the players in the frame at the end of a play to make SEE RUSS PAGE 13

Ian McIntyre is fully aware of his team’s inability to put the ball in the net last year. And being shut out in the fi rst game of the 2011 season didn’t erase the memory.

After failing to score in a 1-0 loss against Colgate on Saturday, the Orange enters the second game of the season searching for both its fi rst goal and its fi rst win of the season.

“That anxiety and nervousness was evident for the fi rst game,” McIntyre said. “But I think now coming back and playing on our home field, I’m looking for the guys to express themselves.”

But McIntyre feels that this year will ultimately be different. And despite there being a little déjà vu in the season opener, McIntyre believes the Orange (0-1, 0-0 Big East) has more attacking options this year. Enough, he said, to play an exciting brand of soccer as the season wears on — ideally starting with Thursday’s game against Canisius.

McIntyre is not ready to give into the notion that his team lacks offensive fi repower. It was only one game and the fi rst game of the season at that.

Plus, SU has even more new faces than last year. Syracuse has 19 newcomers this season, compared to 12 returning players.

If the Orange plans on improving upon last year’s uninspiring 2-10-5 record — a mark that looks even more disheartening when paired with the fact that the team scored multiple goals just once in 2010 — it will need to get back on track immediately.

That begins Thursday at home against a Canisius team that gave the Orange a tough test last year in a 1-1 double-overtime tie.

In reality, the team has everywhere to improve on offense. The Orange can start with gaining more possessions, junior midfielder Mark Brode said. Increase possessions and more opportunities will come.

And with more opportunities come more shots on goals, which ultimately lead to more goals scored.

It sounds simple, but the Orange made it look very difficult in 2010.

McIntyre echoed Brode’s acknowledgement of the need for SEE OFFENSE PAGE 14