free
TUESDAY
dec. 5, 2017 high 53°, low 33°
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 • Community forum
P • Foundational designs
High-ranking Syracuse University officials, including Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, answered student questions at a forum Monday. Page 3
dailyorange.com
Mitesh Dixit, an assistant professor at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, will fly to Serbia after classes end this semester as part of a five-year research project. Page 9
S • Hometown hero
Gerry McNamara’s childhood home has few mementos from his SU career, but his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania still remembers him as a star. Page 16
Halfway there
on campus
Tax reform may affect SU projects By Michael Burke senior staff writer
As Syracuse University moves forward with implementing a 20-year plan to revamp its campus infrastructure, its ability to pay for the plan’s several construction projects could be hindered by federal tax reform. Included in the House of Representatives tax bill passed last month is a proposal to eliminate the tax exemption for private activity bonds, which are available to nonprofit organizations and used to finance infrastructure projects. The proposal, which would go into effect on Dec. 31, isn’t included in the Senate tax bill passed last week, meaning Republicans will need to decide whether to keep it as they work out the bill’s differences in a conference committee. If the proposal does become law, it could alter SU’s plans for financing see projects page 6
JAMES FRANCO AND ANGIE PATI, Student Association’s president and vice president, respectively, said they’ll work to start a Euclid shuttle service next semester. sara schleicher staff photographer
SA president, vice president provide updates on plans By Catherine Leffert
Committee chairs detail progress for initiatives By Catherine Leffert and Jordan Muller
staff writer
the daily orange
S
E
y racuse University Student Association President James Franco and Vice President Angie Pati said they’ve prioritized health, wellness and safety in their initiatives this semester. Here’s a breakdown of what the SA leaders have accomplished this fall:
arlier this semester, The Daily Orange spoke with seven newly appointed Student Association committee chairs to discuss their goals and initiatives for the organization’s 61st Legislative Session. Now, at the end of the semester, here’s the status of some of those initiatives:
Health and wellness
Elizabeth Sedore, chair of student life
Pati planned the second annual Mental Health Awareness Week this year in collaboration with Active Minds and the Office of Health Promotion. She said the event is a permanent SA initiative. “I think that a lot of the evidence I have of its success is anecdotal,” Pati said. “It was like little responses to my emails or to James’ emails being like, ‘This is really cool,’ and ‘Thanks for doing this.’” Pati has also taken steps to create a peer listening service and a mental health crisis text line. She said the peer listening service would ideally be active by the end of May, but realistically it may begin next academic year. The population of potential users for the crisis text line must be at least 35,000 people, Pati said, and SU has a see initiatives page 6
Sedore said earlier this semester that as chair of the student life committee, she wanted to emphasize topics involving safety and mental health. This semester, Sedore received $2,100 to stock bathrooms with tampons, pads and metal dispensers in bathrooms of five buildings: the Hall of Languages, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Schine Student Center, the Life Sciences Complex and Bird Library. SA bought 2,500 tampons and 750 pads, in total. Sedore also requested $3,000 to relaunch the Chat & Dine program, which allows students to get a free meal with SU faculty members at the Goldstein Faculty and Alumni Center. The student life committee also collected coats for children in Syracuse to wear this winter. The coat drive see committees page 7
city
I-81 tunnel analysis released By Sam Ogozalek asst. news editor
Controversial tunneling options for replacing a section of Interstate 81 in Syracuse would be feasible but could cost between $3 billion and $4.5 billion, a consultant’s study has found. The study, released Monday by a multinational engineering firm called WSP, was commissioned by New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year after political pressure forced him to reassess the state’s previous decision to dismiss tunneling options. The highway is rusted and crumbling in some spots, cutting through a low-income neighborhood just west of Syracuse University’s Main Campus. The state is considering several I-81 replacement options. Here are three key takeaways from the report:
An expensive project
I think that a lot of the evidence I have of its success is anecdotal. It was like little responses to my emails or to James’ emails being like, ‘This is really cool,’ and ‘Thanks for doing this.’ Angie Pati student association vice president on mental health awareness week
Consultants analyzed four tunnel options in the report. All of them would redirect interstate traffic underneath the city. Out of the four options, the firm recommended the state continue studying an “Orange” alternative as a “feasible” see tunnel page 7