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WEDNESDAY
sept. 28, 2016 high 75°, low 55 °
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 • Building up
A Syracuse University School of Architecture alumna gave a lecture reflecting on her experience in the field, and having simplicity in design. Page 3
O • Showing pride
Gender and Sexuality columnist Ivana Pino outlines how SU can be more accommodating to the LGBT community with housing and visibility. Page 5
dailyorange.com
P • Bridging the gap
La Casita Cultural Center acts as a bridge between the Syracuse Univeristy and city communities. It offers classes, exhibits and a library, among other services. Page 9
S • Filling the void
Syracuse senior goalie Regan Spencer has waited the better part of three seasons for her chance to star. With Jess Jecko gone, Spencer has her shot. Page 20
UNDER THE LINE Syracuse poverty rate in the year 2015 remains among highest in the nation
Syracuse’s Numbers
2009
31%
4.4%
Syracuse’s poverty rate has remained essentially unchanged since 2009
Non-Hispanic White households
4.1%
29th
Black households
Syracuse is the
The latest report states 31 percent of Syracuse’s population — or 40,500 residents — was living below the federal poverty line in 2015
6.1%
poorest city in the United States
Hispanic-origin households
The median income percentages of non-Hispanic White, Black and Hispanicorigin households increased between 2014 and 2015
National Numbers
By Deniz Sahinturk staff writer
S
yracuse is the 29th poorest city in the United States, according to recent data from Syracuse.com citing the U.S. Census Bureau. The report revealed that in the year 2015, 31 percent of Syracuse residents lived below the federal poverty line and one in two children
103. Albany, 23.4%
29. Syracuse, 31%
16. Buffalo, 33%
1
The 2015 poverty rate was one percentage point higher than in 2007
15. Rochester, 33.2%
The federal government defined children and adults as poor if they lived in households with an income below $24,257 for a family of four
1. Flint, MI, 40.8%
$24,257
comparing cities The poorest city in the United States is Flint, Michigan, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Four other cities in New York state, including Syracuse, were ranked in the Census data as some of the most povertystricken cities in the country.
Ranking, City, Percent below Poverty Line
graphic illustration by andy mendes design editor
in Syracuse lived in poverty. It also showed that 45.3 percent of children under the age of 18 lived in poverty last year, and among children under the age of 5, the rate was 52.4 percent. The federal government defines children and adults as poor if they live in households with an income below $24,257 for a family of four. While the U.S. has recorded its largest decline in poverty since 1968, Syracuse’s poverty rate has remained
essentially unchanged since 2009, according to Syracuse.com. Minchin Lewis, an adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University, said the issue is an economic one that goes beyond city boundaries. He added that prior political and economic policies created the issues the city of Syracuse is facing today. “If we think of it as the city’s responsibility, I think we can create
policies that aren’t really relevant,” Lewis said. If you think about the issue as a county issue, Lewis said the poverty percentage went down too as the poverty percentage was much lower on a county basis. “The problem is that we don’t have jobs that are sufficient to employ all the people in the county,” Lewis said. “Twenty thousand jobs were lost in the last 15 years.
This is an issue of jobs.” The reason why poverty remains so high for Syracuse is because families with higher income have moved to the suburbs, leaving low-income families behind in the city, Lewis said. Those who have been directly hit by high poverty are people in minority groups. This study from the Century Foundation found last year that Syracuse has the highest concentration of see poverty page 6
SU names Chief Financial Officer search committee members By Stacy Fernandez asst. news editor
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud announced Tuesday the members of the search committee for the university’s next chief financial officer. Syverud will be chairing the committee alongside university leaders, faculty, staff and representatives
from the Board of Trustees. The CFO will report directly to Syverud and will work with deans, department heads and administrators. “Syracuse University is poised for significant growth and success in the coming years,” Syverud said in the release. A strong financial leader is critical to that success to ensure the university’s fiscal position supports
the university’s academic vision and goals as articulated in the Academic Strategic Plan, Syverud said. Syverud said he is looking forward to working with members of the search committee to identify SU’s next CFO. Louis Marcoccia, SU’s previous executive vice president and chief financial officer, retired on June 30, after serving as the university’s CFO since 2006. Gwenn Judge, director of
SU’s Office of Budget and Planning, is currently serving as interim CFO. The Search Committee members are: • Kent Syverud, chancellor and president (Chair) • Steven Barnes ’82, chairman of the Board of Trustees • Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff • Can Isik, senior associate dean
and professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science • Edward Pettinella ’76, University Trustee and chair of the Board of Trustees’ Budget Committee • Michael Tick, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts • Michele Wheatly, vice chancellor and provost sfern100@syr.edu @StacyFernandezB