free
THURSDAY
april 15, 2021 high 48°, low 37°
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 |
dailyorange.com
C • Artistic climate
N • Securing space
S • Ups and downs
The College of Visual and Performing Art’s Canary Lab is having students explore the climate crisis through art. The work will be exhibited starting May 9. Page 6
SU’s Graduate Student Organization is working on a proposal to secure a designated space for graduate students in Marshall Square Mall. Page 3
Syracuse men’s basketball has been in a recruiting lull in recent years. Scouts and former staff members weighed in on the inconsistencies for the Orange’s program. Page 12
‘You have a place here’
Clockwise from top left: Ana Ana Sofía Aponte González, Darnelle Stinfort, KeKe Blanton, Denise Magny and Christian Andino Borrero
Despite feeling unwelcome at SU, students said they’ve found belonging and support in campus organizations
Story by Maggie Hicks asst. news editor
Photos by Anya Wijeweera asst. photo editor
A
fter four consecutive nights occupying the Barnes Center at The Arch with #NotAgainSU, KeKe Blanton was exhausted. She returned to her dorm in DellPlain Hall expecting to go right to bed. Instead, Blanton’s friends in her LGBTQ+ Living Learning Community welcomed her back, checked in to see how she was doing and told her how excited they were to see her. “It just felt safe,” Blanton said. According to a recent survey, 43% of SU students, 43% of staff and 37% of faculty said they are unsatisfied with the university’s climate. But the survey also found that affinity groups, support services, organizations and dedicated spaces at SU helped numerous students feel like they belong at the university, despite negative views surrounding its commitment to diversity. Many students, including Blanton, agreed with the survey results and said that SU can feel unwelcoming, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds. But they said that see belonging page 4
city
Syracuse Tech Garden begins 46,000 square-foot expansion By Gillian Follett staff writer
The Tech Garden, which provides resources for startup technology businesses in Syracuse, will proceed with its proposed $16 million expansion after Syracuse’s Common Council voted to approve a lease agreement in late March. The agreement extends the lease
between the city and CenterState CEO — the nonprofit economic development organization that runs The Tech Garden — for an additional 20 years. Since 2005, The Tech Garden has operated out of a city-owned building that the city leases to the organization for only $1. That price will remain the same under the new agreement. The Tech Garden’s expansion
project will involve the construction of two additional floors to the existing building, said Caitlin Moriarty, director of operations at The Tech Garden. The expansion of the building will add roughly 46,000 square-feet — enough space to hold 100 of the organization’s members in person and 200 members virtually, according to The Tech Garden’s website.
Over the past few years, the organization has struggled to meet the increasing demand from entrepreneurs and startup companies for office space in the building, Moriarty said. Since 2017, The Tech Garden has gained an average of 26 members per year. As each of these startups grow, they require more space to house their rising number of employees.
“The quality of (these) startups is increasing, and their needs are also increasing,” Moriarty said. “Last year, we did a survey of our 108 startups, and they created 411 new jobs. We need to have space in offices to be able to fit the new jobs that they’re creating.” In addition to office space, The Tech Garden hopes to expand its see expansion page 4