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THURSDAY
oct. 29, 2020 high 48°, low 32°
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 |
C •Salon safety
N • Remembrance
dailyorange.com
Hair salons in Syracuse are working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and create a safe environment for customers through protocols such as air filtration systems. Page 6
Remembrance Scholars are working to organize virtual and socially distanced events to honor the victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Page 3
S • Program reboot
Five years after Ange Bradley led Syracuse field hockey to a national championship, her former players look back on how she transformed a once-struggling program. Page 12
on campus
Rising cases pose risks for SU’s spring semester A new wave of cases in Onondaga County could force SU to reconsider in-person spring classes
By Francis Tang staff writer
By Chris Hippensteel news editor
I
ncreasing coronavirus case numbers in New York state and Onondaga County may undermine the university’s ability to reopen safely in January, university and county officials told The Daily Orange. University officials, including Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, the head of SU’s COVID-19 response, have said the low infection rate in Onondaga County at the start of the fall semester was a key factor in bringing students back to campus safely. But that infection rate has crept up in recent weeks as both the state and the country brace for another peak of infections. “We have to look at the facts on the ground,” said Indu Gupta, commissioner of the Onondaga County Health Department, in an interview with The D.O. “The school will make that decision, with our consultation at that point, if we have suddenly a very high number of cases.” If infections in New York state continue to rise into January, SU may need to reconsider its plans to continue in-person instruction, Gupta said. The department will communicate this to university officials should the need arise. With SU’s spring semester set to begin Jan. 25, Gupta stressed that it’s far too early to speculate on the university’s ability to reopen. Coronavirus cases have increased across the United States in October, particularly in the South and Midwest. While New York state currently has the second-lowest positivity rate in the country, it has recently seen an uptick in cases. “We are seeing the second wave, or surges, throughout the country, including in New York state, which we started to see in our county also,” Gupta said. “Our numbers keep on going up, which is a big concern.” Onondaga County reported a record-setting 70 new
see coronavirus page 4
Time zones hinder learning
Onondaga County has seen another increase of active coronavirus cases as the U.S. experiences a second wave
Syracuse University international students have faced difficulties while taking classes remotely. When SU first transitioned to online classes due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, many international students chose to return to their home countries. Because of travel restrictions and other complications related to the pandemic, several have not returned to campus this fall. Multiple international students told The Daily Orange that being away from campus, plus the virtual nature of their courses, has posed both academic and social challenges, leaving them feeling neglected. The time difference between Syracuse and some international students’ home countries continues to present challenges for many students, even as SU has expanded asynchronous course material since the spring. Jessica Tran, a sophomore international student from Vietnam studying film and journalism, said she began the semester having to take classes as early as 4 a.m. When she asked two professors if she could choose to take their classes asynchronously, one refused, saying it was unfair to students who were taking classes in person, she said. While the professor did let her switch to another section of the class at a different time, the new section overlaps with a class she was already taking, Tran said. But because international students have to register a minimum of 12 credits every semester to maintain their F-1 visa status, she said can’t withdraw from either class. “It’ll affect my GPA so much but there’s nothing else I can do,” Tran said. Eileen Chen, an SU junior from China who is studying international relations, said she was anxious about how she would perform in online classes at the beginning of the fall semester. Some of her classes take place in real time, which for her means attending late at night or early in the morning. “Taking classes all online just isn’t seeming real for me, and my efficiency in learning also dropped down,” said Ainley
see international page 4