free
MONDAY
oct. 9, 2017 high 74°, low 57°
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 • Learning moment
Professors explain the importance of a Nobel Prizewinning scientific breakthrough involving fruit fly genes and circadian rhythms. Page 3
O • Keeping up
dailyorange.com
P • Continuing the fight
Gender and Sexuality columnist Kelsey Thompson discusses how Kylie Jenner’s rumored pregnancy brought age-old sexual double standards back to life. Page 5
Native students at SU reflect on how the campus community has changed and stood still on native affairs since recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day. Page 9
S • To the top
Since Chris Fox took over as Syracuse’s cross country coach, the Orange has been a regular at the NCAA finals. In 2015, SU’s men’s team won the national title. Page 16
on campus
Students discuss proposal By Madeleine Davison staff writer
Jeffrey Albelo has seen bees under the porch and sewage in the basement of the off-campus rental he shares with three roommates. But Albelo — a junior psychology major at Syracuse University — said the benefits of living off campus outweigh the downsides. “You don’t fall under the restrictions of SU, you’re free to do your own thing … (and) in regards to the financial, it’s more positive for me,” Albelo said. Like many students — especially students of color — Albelo, who is Puerto Rican, took out loans for college. The average Latinx student at a private nonprofit institution graduates with $36,266 in debt — approximately $4,800 more than the average white student, according to a 2015 report by the public policy think tank Demos.
Running to remember Campus community members took part in the Race to Remember, a 3.5-mile charity run, roll or stroll, on Sunday. The race, which was open to people of all abilities, was held to honor the 35 SU students killed in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack. All proceeds from the race benefited the Hurricane Harvey relief fund. paul schlesinger asst. photo editor
national
5 SU students grapple with Maria’s aftermath By Matthew Gutierrez senior staff writer
More than two weeks after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, Bea González has yet to make direct contact with her father living in Cayey, a town in the central part of the island. To reach him, González — Syracuse University’s vice president for community engagement — has set up a relay system. Every other day, her cousin calls his sister. Lisa, the sister, calls González, who sends a group text to her siblings. Cellphone service is only available for residents of Cayey, which is still without electricity, after a 30-minute drive out of the town. SU students and faculty with ties to Puerto Rico, like González, are still grappling with Maria’s aftermath. The storm left a historic trail of destruction after flooding neighborhoods, ripping roofs off buildings and leaving the entire island without power. Maria made landfall Sept. 20 as a Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds, just 2 mph short of Category 5 status. Now, only
about 10 percent of Puerto Ricans have power and about 55 percent have running water, according to the territory’s government. Officials are working to provide adequate food and water to communities cut off by blocked or destroyed roads and bridges, including the hometowns of some SU students. More than 500 SU students, faculty and staff are estimated to have ties to Puerto Rico, González said. “We’re trying to put in place appropriate resources,” González said. “Students are concerned. Families losing income for two to three months has a dramatic impact on our students.” Here are the stories of five of those students.
Cristina Colón
Cristina Colón wanted to scream. For four days, the SU junior English and textual studies major stayed in her apartment after Maria hit Puerto Rico. On the bus going to class, she sat with her cellphone in her pocket, watching other students scroll through social media apps or text. “I wanted to knock people’s phones out of their hands and
yell, ‘Why are you so normal right now?’ Did they not know what’s going on in Puerto Rico?” she wrote in a personal story. When Colón woke up Sept. 20, she read texts from her mother and sister. “It’s 3:30 a.m. We’re okay, but this is really bad. Pray for us. I love you.” “5:50 a.m.: We’re okay. This is horrible.” “Sweetheart, this is horrible, it doesn’t end.” “But we’re okay.” “9:00 a.m.: The wind is still strong. We have some damages, but we are all OK. I love you, sweetheart. God bless you. Have a nice day.” Colón’s family didn’t sleep that night. Her sister had a panic attack. Her mother said it was the worst experience of her life. For the next four days, Colón scrolled through Facebook to look at the devastation. She didn’t leave her apartment. Her mother violated curfew to call her and say goodnight. Shortly after the storm, Colón’s father waited in line for hours to get gasoline, but the truck never showed up and he
went home empty-handed. “What has been most stressful is feeling powerless and basically useless,” Colón said. “There’s nothing I can do to help my family. Yes, I can donate, can send them things. The overall day-to-day? I can’t help them. I can’t be there.” Over the past couple of weeks, Colón’s parents have spent weekends waiting in line for gasoline and ice. Her mother can barely sleep because it’s hot at night and there’s no power. Her battery-powered fan isn’t working. She has worried about fumes from the generator because if she breathes too much air, she is afraid she will fall asleep and die.
Marcus Lane Jr.
Marcus Lane Jr., a junior policy studies major, has heard only through neighbors that his aunt is OK. She has no power, no water and little food. She is using a nearby river as her primary water source. “She’s living, just barely surviving,” Lane said. Lane has not yet heard from all of his family members, but said he believes they are still alive. The storm destroyed the second floor of one of his family’s homes see puerto
rico page 4
$4,800 Difference in the amount of debt an average Latinx student at a private nonprofit institution graduates with compared to the average white student source: demos
Now that Albelo lives off campus, his scholarship provides him with a refund check he uses to pay for rent, groceries and other expenses. He said the lower cost of housing off campus helped him save money. About 52 percent of SU undergraduates live off campus, according to a 2016 Campus Climate survey. Students are currently required to live in on-campus housing for two years. But in February, Michele Wheatly, SU’s vice chancellor and provost, said the university might soon require incoming students to live on campus for three years. “I find that requirement really bullsh*t,” Albelo said of the three-year proposal. “You’re trying to suck up money from these kids — you’re trying to suck them dry.” The university plans to raise tuition by $5,060, which includes a $3,300 tuition premium and 3.9 percent tuition increase for students matriculating in fall 2018. Adding an extra year on campus for incoming students could see housing page 6