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Faculty in SU’s Spanish department have maintained interest in Latino heritage through class activities that include cultural components. Page 7
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Beat writer Adam Hillman covered Syracuse’s bizarre home opener win against Georgia Tech, the first game in the renovated Carrier Dome. Page 12
city
SU closes campus cafes
Protesters demand answers from SPD By Chris Hippensteel news editor
Protesters in Syracuse are demanding answers from the Syracuse Police Department about two officers’ killing of Steve Smith. Two officers shot and killed Smith, a Black man, on Sept. 4 during an exchange of gunfire at a Sunoco on the Northside, according to SPD. Since then, city residents, including activists with Last Chance for Change, have protested SPD’s handling of the encounter and demanded more information about Smith’s death. As Last Chance for Change and other activist groups in the city continue to speak out against Smith’s killing, here’s a breakdown of what demonstrators are demanding from the department:
Differing accounts
Students who worked in the closed dining centers have been reassigned to other campus locations, as SU strives to prevent employees from losing shifts or income. micaela warren contributing photographer
Food Services closes Falk, Slocum, iSchool cafes By Sarah Alessandrini and Michael Sessa the daily orange
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yracuse University Food Services is closing multiple campus cafes for the semester due to lower sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Food Services decided to close the cafes, which include Falk Cafe, Slocum Cafe and the iCafe, after seeing a decreased number of customers this semester. Students who worked in the closed cafes and dining centers have been reassigned to other campus cafes and dining centers, as administrators strive to prevent employees from losing shifts or income due to the closures. Alexandra Rodriguez, a junior finance major, worked at Slocum Cafe in the School of Architecture. During one of her shifts, her manager told her that the cafe would be shutting down for at least the rest of the semester. “My initial reaction was upset because I’ve been working at Slocum since freshman year,” Rodriguez said. “I am now a junior and am very comfortable with my position.” Business at the cafe had been “super slow” for the first few weeks of the semester, but the news that the cafe would close was still disappointing, Rodriguez said.
Food Services worked with Rodriguez to schedule replacement shifts for her at similar times, she said. She now has a shift at Pages Cafe in Bird Library and another in the Eggers Hall cafe. While Rodriguez lost one shift and now works four fewer hours than she used to, it wouldn’t be too hard for her to pick up additional hours if she looked around, she said. Sue Bracy, director of Food Services, said the department reviews its on-campus operations in the early weeks of the semester to determine how to best use its resources. The review, which led to SU closing the cafes, includes analyzing customer counts and traffic at different cafes and dining facilities, Bracy said in an email. “We discovered that several cafes were seeing a low number of customers, which reflected a larger change in traffic to Food Services locations across campus,” Bracy said. Several cafes in academic buildings, such as Slocum, have seen less traffic because many students are taking classes online, Bracy said. Cafes and food courts near student housing have actually become more popular since students are staying close to their residence halls when getting meals, she said. SU also took the distance between dining centers and cafes into consideration when deciding which ones to keep open, she said. Food Services decided to shut down Falk Cafe because its proximity to Eggers Cafe, she said. Food Services has worked with staff in individual schools see cafes page 4
According to SPD’s account of the shooting, several officers responded to a “man with a gun call” at the Sunoco at 200 N. State St. The report states that officers arrived on the scene and encountered Smith, who was armed with the gun. During the encounter, at least two SPD officers on the scene fired at Smith, striking him at least one time. Ambulance personnel pronounced Smith dead on the scene. SPD said a weapon was recovered on the scene with Smith. SPD has since launched an investigation into the shooting and identified Sgt. Jason Wells and Kenneth Sheehan as the officers who fired at Smith. Both officers serve in the department’s patrol division. SPD Chief Kenton Buckner declined to comment on who shot first in the altercation between Smith and the officers at a press conference following the shooting. He also said the department would not release body camera footage until an “appropriate time” in the investigation. Demonstrators have repeatedly disputed the department’s account of officers’ altercation with Smith. Buckner also said that SPD informed Smith’s family of the shooting. Demonstrators with Last Chance for Change, including Smith’s family, have disputed
see protests page 4